China — the next Superpower

Why the rise of China to superpower status is good？

Why China doesn´t want to be America？

Playing with fire

What is a superpower? Most people would say a country reached this status once it can project power globally, has cultural influence over other cultures and dominates large parts of the world technologically, militarily, and politically.

When Nixon went to China to usher in a new era of cooperation and trade, he did not do it out of the kindness of his heart. It was a calculated move to use one communist power against the other. And as part of a greater scheme -one might argue- it worked.

Yet, it came as so often with political decisions. They are great for the moment but will play out quite differently in the future. We just need to think about the irony that lies in supporting anti-Russian forces in Afghanistan, that later came back full circle in the shape of Taliban and similar groups.

After the fall of the USSR, things changed rather quickly. No need for China anymore. Strategically that is. China became a paradise of raging capitalism and a playground for Western companies to produce everything cheaper than ever. Life was great. Until step by step those Chinese became rich and powerful.