CHINA

CHINA

            Throughout the last century, the United States has been on the front lines of being one of the most powerful ‘Great Powers’ in the world. This is directly related to the country’s resources such as military power, economic wealth, and cultural influence. These factors that distinguish a countries power are commonly referred to hard and soft powers. As other countries are gradually increasing their hard and soft powers, China is a country that poses a higher risk. As China continues to rise, they can be seen as a threat to the United States and the rest of the world.

            China is the most populous nation in the world. A country with a more than a billion people accumulates to a military with over a million active frontline personnel. This large population allows the possibility of China becoming a hegemon. According to Measrsheimer, China has the potential to dominate Northeast Asia. Other countries in the area such as Japan and Russia have the capabilities to combat China but in the long run will fail. In recent years, China has limited their population by placing a barrier of how many children can be born. Even with this barrier China still remains on top in regards of population. Once China lifts this barrier and allows more reproduction, it will be regarded as one of the most feared nations in the world. It will have an even larger military, which will show the “threat of force” needed to be seen as a Great Power.

            Currently, China is placed as one of the wealthiest nations in the world. It encounters trades with many other nations including the Unites States. As recent years have passed, China’s GDP has escalated benefitting off of the capitalistic world. As China becomes wealthier, it will have the opportunity to use its wealth in military spending. It will be able to create its own state of the art weaponry and have a military with high combat skills. China will no longer need to rely on the United States for trade as Measrsheimer says that it will be even wealthier than the United States.

China is a nation of culture that surpasses many countries. Its history contains evidence dating back hundreds even thousands of years back. Chinese culture can be seen pretty much everywhere in common society outside of the country. In many large-scale cities, there are areas called “Chinatown”, which honors Chinese immigration to the United States. Chinese food is very popular, as it has identified China in many ways. The nation of China has deeply impacted many aspects of life, instilling social values into the world through Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, etc. Many of what they have given the world can be seen as soft powers, but these soft powers have been put into place before many us were born. A nation that has one of the oldest cultures should be seen in a different light, as it has ultimately paved the way for developing the social precedents exemplified in today’s society.

China is sure to be presence that threatens many nations. To combat these inevitable outcome nations should be prepared for ways of maintaining prevalence in the times to come. While China still faces problems internal problems such as communism and pollution, the United States and the rest of the world should implement a way of checking and balancing this sure to be hegemon of Northeast Asia.