User:Nobleeagle/China as an emerging superpower/New


 * For more information on the topic see Emerging Superpowers and Superpower\

The People's Republic of China (PRC) is often considered an emerging superpower due to its large and stable population, its rapidly growing economy and military spending and capabilities. However, it has several economic, political, and demographic problems which need to be overcome to be considered as a superpower. It is not yet as influential on the international stage as the United States or the former Soviet Union.

Definition
A superpower is a nation that exercises dominance over the remainder of the world through a combination of hard power (military, economic) and soft power (cultural power). The term superpower was originally used to describe the Soviet Union and the United States in the Cold War and later to describe only the United States in a unipolar world. The United States is still the superpower of today.

Thus to emerge as a superpower, a nation would have to be roughly have equal power in international relations to the United States. The title of superpower is based on relative terms and there are not a strict set of guidelines to govern a superpower. A superpower is dominant over its contemporaries, and thus as powers over the world continue to grow or decline, there are likely to be power shifts in terms of polarity. Thus, if a nation can reach the economic, political and military strength of the contemporary United States in many years time, it will not necessarily be a superpower, as the United States may have also risen in technological and military strength since then. China's growth in recent times has led to speculation by media, politicians and academics that China may match the United States in the future. As a superpower, China may occupy a similar bloc to that of the Soviet Union, forming the Communist line of thought against the capitalist governments of the Western powers and other Asian powers like India and Japan.

Current status
China is commonly referred to as a great power because of its increased economic and military strength under its communist government. A great power is considered one level below a superpower, although it should be noted that no strict criterion are applied and the status of great power is given through various types of analysis of a country's strength.