{"id":11223,"date":"2024-02-22T15:39:46","date_gmt":"2024-02-22T08:39:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jailangkung.com\/?p=11223"},"modified":"2024-02-22T15:39:49","modified_gmt":"2024-02-22T08:39:49","slug":"china-superpower-or-sibling-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jailangkung.com\/china-superpower-or-sibling-state\/","title":{"rendered":"China: Superpower or Sibling State?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

jlk <\/em>– China, known for its Great Wall, adorable pandas, and instant noodles, has now become one of the most spotlighted countries in the international arena. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not because they successfully developed a vaccine for the coronavirus originating from there, but because they are predicted to surpass the United States as a superpower in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, will this prediction really come true? Does China have all the qualifications to become a respected and feared superpower by other nations?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or is China just a sibling state constantly striving to mimic and catch up with the advancements of developed countries?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we will try to examine several aspects that determine China’s position as a potential superpower, such as economic strength, military power, and soft power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We will also look at some challenges and obstacles faced by China in realizing its ambition as a superpower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Economic Strength<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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It cannot be denied that China is one of the countries with tremendous economic growth. Even when the pandemic hit the world, China still managed to record a positive economic growth of 3%, while the global economy contracted by 4%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This indicates that China has strong resilience in facing crises, although some argue that the figures they report are not entirely accurate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China also has advantages in terms of production and trade. It is the world’s largest exporter, with a value reaching $2.5 trillion USD in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China also has the largest foreign exchange reserves in the world, valued at $3.1 trillion USD in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China also has the largest population in the world, with around 1.4 billion people in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a large population, China has a potential market and cheap labor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, China’s economic strength does not automatically make it a superpower. China still faces several serious economic problems, such as social inequality, public debt, corruption, pollution, and dependence on energy imports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China also still lags behind the United States in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, reflecting the level of people’s welfare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2019, China’s GDP per capita was around $10,000 USD, while the GDP per capita of the United States was around $65,000 USD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, China also faces competition and conflicts with other countries, especially the United States, which is not pleased with China’s rise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The United States has imposed various sanctions and import tariffs on Chinese products, which negatively impact trade and investment between the two countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The United States also tries to isolate China from the Asia-Pacific region by forming alliances with countries like Japan, Australia, India, and Vietnam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Military Power<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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China is also a country with significant and growing military power. China is the second-largest defense spender in the world, after the United States, with a value reaching $261 billion USD in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China also has the largest military personnel in the world, with around 2.2 million people in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China has equipped itself with various sophisticated military equipment, such as ballistic missiles, nuclear submarines, stealth fighter jets, aircraft carriers, and satellites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China is also one of the five countries with nuclear weapons, estimated to have around 320 nuclear warheads in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, China’s military power does not guarantee that China can become a superpower. China still lags behind the United States in terms of the quality and quantity of military equipment, as well as experience and operational capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China has also not been involved in a major war since 1979, when they fought with Vietnam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, China also faces challenges and threats from neighboring countries, especially concerning territorial claims in the South China Sea and East China Sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, which is rich in natural and geopolitical resources, as part of its sovereign territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, this claim is opposed by other countries with overlapping claims, such as Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China also disputes with Japan over ownership of the Senkaku\/Diaoyu Islands, located in the East China Sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These islands also have high economic and strategic value, as they are believed to have large reserves of oil and natural gas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These disputes have the potential to trigger military conflicts between China and other countries, which could threaten regional stability and peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soft Power<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Soft power is the ability of a country to influence other countries through the attractiveness of its culture, ideology, and diplomacy, without using threats or coercion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soft power is an important factor in determining a country’s position as a superpower because it can enhance the image and influence of that country in the eyes of the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China has been trying to enhance its soft power through various ways, such as promoting Chinese culture and language, organizing sports and arts events, providing aid and investment to developing countries, and participating in international organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China has also launched the Belt and Road Initiative, aimed at building infrastructure networks and economic cooperation between China and more than 60 countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, and Latin America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, China’s soft power is still weak and limited compared to the United States or other Western countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China still lacks a universally appealing cultural appeal, as Chinese culture and values are often seen as foreign and difficult to understand by non-Chinese people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China also lacks an attractive and acceptable ideology for other countries, as China’s political and social system is often seen as authoritarian and undemocratic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China also lacks effective and trustworthy diplomacy, as China’s foreign policy is often seen as aggressive and threatening the sovereignty of other countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, China also faces criticism and suspicion from other countries, especially concerning issues such as human rights, democracy, freedom of the press, and social justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China also faces challenges in building a positive image and increasing its influence in the international world because many countries feel threatened or uncomfortable with China’s rise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From the above description, it can be concluded that China has the potential to become a superpower, but still faces various challenges and obstacles that need to be overcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China needs to undertake reforms and changes in various aspects, such as economics, military, and soft power, to be accepted and respected by other countries as a superpower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, one thing to remember is that becoming a superpower is not the ultimate goal that a country should achieve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ultimate goal should be to create prosperity and happiness for its people, and to contribute positively to the peace and progress of the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, China should not focus too much on the ambition of becoming a superpower, but rather focus on efforts to improve the quality of life of its people and build good relations with other countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We close this article with a quote from Sun Tzu, an ancient Chinese philosopher and military strategist: “The greatest victory is to win without fighting.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

May China and the United States, as well as other countries, understand and apply the wisdom of this quote in their relations and interactions in the international world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you for reading and may it be beneficial, Kisanak.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sources:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • “China to overtake US as world’s biggest economy by 2028, report predicts” – The Guardian, December 26, 2019.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • “China’s Military Power: A Net Assessment” – United States Department of Defense, 2020.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • “China’s Soft Power in Africa: Opportunities and Challenges” – The Diplomat, October 22, 2021.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • “What Makes a Country a Superpower?” – Investopedia, January 22, 2022.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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