05/04/2011

China: The Next Global Empire?

China has made huge investments in African infrastructure, Australian mining operations and natural resources across the globe. It's building a real consumer class, diversifying away from the dollar and expanding its military might. With a hold on resources, its neighbors and potentially the world marketplace, is China destined to be the next global empire? The fear, of course, is that China's rise will lead to the fall of the U.S. as a world power. Are epic trade disputes and geopolitical conflicts on the horizon? Is it really a zero sum game in which the U.S. loses if China gains? Or will the potential for trouble be offset by economic interdependence and China's growing participation in various international institutions? Given its remarkable progress and its vast potential, can anything derail China's future?
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