THE RISE OF CHINA AS SUPER POWER!

The Rise of China as Super Power

The Rise of China as Super Power

Q.6.

Ans.

The economic development of China is both attractive and complex. Its culture has been described as both peaceful and warlike. China was created by conquest and has essentially been ruled by a series of warlords. However, China has also experienced periods of peace and active trade with its neighbors. There have also been extensive periods where China isolated itself from outside influence and became a closed society. These experiences have profoundly shaped Chinese culture and strategic thought. (Wan 1997, 239-252) It is difficult to describe the speed and scale by which China has risen in terms of international economic importance over the past two decades. Whether the twenty-first century will the Chinese century the same way that the USA was for the twentieth century and the UK in the nineteenth century remains unclear. However, it is hard to deny that the pivotal role China has assumed, particularly in terms of a manufacturing hub, in the global marketplace in the past twenty years. Despite the country's growing economic importance and the projection that China will become the largest economy in the world by the middle of the twenty-first century.

As China emerges as a global power it is important to understand what role it will play and the security perceptions it has of both Asia and the world. (Bernstein, Munro 1997, 203) The most important issue for China today is political stability at home. Any attempt to influence the status quo is not welcome and is deemed to be interference in China's internal affairs. Many Chinese believe that the United States represents the core values of Western civilization and is in conflict with Eastern civilization which is represented by China. As a result, Chinese leadership views any American influence as a challenge to China's political stability.

The Western view of China's emergence is mixed. Following a period of condemnation after the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, Western countries have sought to normalize relations with China. Canada's policy has been to maximise trade and economic links while adopting a moderate, low-key approach in discussing human rights. US-China relations have been more difficult. However, the US ultimately granted China most-favoured-nation (MFN) trading status and a 1995 decision determined that human rights would be no longer tied to commerce. The issue of China's military modernisation has attracted attention. Some analysts believe this modernisation is overdue and is just updating old equipment. Others are concerned about the combined effect of this modernisation and the assertive nature China has displayed recently concerning claims in the South China Sea and Taiwan.

This study also demonstrates that China's economic and cultural transformation, under the current Communist regime, has the potential to seriously threaten the future security of Canada and the West. The study will look at both the economic reforms and work ethic underway in China and the strategic direction they are taking. The Western strategic view of China will be ...