…and won’t be anytime soon, according to Minxin Pei, a political scientist and the director of the Keck Center for International and Strategic Studies, who says that although China has grown stronger it is not yet a "SuperPower". Relax....
The article more clearly defines the term superpower, stating that in all of world history, only one country–the United States–has truly acquired all the capabilities of a superpower:
- a technologically advanced economy
- a hi-tech military
- a fully integrated nation
- military and economic advantages over competitors
- capacity to provide global public goods
- an appealing ideology.
There is some value to the argument, China will need to overcome a great many challenges before it can accept the mantle of Superpower. Currently, more than half of the Chinese population still live in villages, most without access to safe drinking water, basic healthcare, or decent education. With urbanization growing at about 1 percent a year, it will take "another three decades for China to reduce the size of its peasantry to a quarter of the population."
I find that I agree with Minxin Pei. China is not a superpower, and won't be any time soon. Granted China has made several impovements; however most of it's population still lives way below the poverty level.
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