China’s Emergence As World’s Largest Economy and Possibly Dominant Cultural Influence in the 21st Century
When I graduated from college in the mid-1970s, China was just emerging from the disastrous “cultural revolution.” It was still communist, an economic ideology that, in the words of Ronald Reagan, seemed destined for the “ash heap of history.” It was unimaginable then that China, which never disavowed communism as Russia did, might become the world’s largest economy, with as much or more influence in the Middle East and Africa than the US. Uncle Sam may also face declining influence in Asia compared to China. The rise of Asia economically in the 21st century may even end US dominance in the Western hemisphere, in the Caribbean, and in Latin America. What are the implications of this new dynamic?
Will it lead to a decline of democracy, free market capitalism, freedom of speech, and an increase in authoritarianism around the world, especially in the West?
To understand the role of China on the world stage, I tell students it’s important to be able to identify the following, at a minimum:
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