Evaluate the view that China is a superpower (12 marks)
China’s economic China’s economic outreach shows that it is a superpower
might China’s growth rate over the past 20 years has been remarkable, with its share of global GDP rising from 4%
to 18%
Since 2008, 35% of global economic growth has been Chinese
In comparison to the west, China’s economy weathered much better during the 2008 Financial Crisis, and by
2010, the Chinese economy was 90 times greater than it had been since 1978
China own a sizeable chunk of America’s debts – $1.168 trillion in 2018, giving it economic leverage in trade
negotiations
China was ranked number one for maths and science in the OECD’s Program for International Student
Assessment in 2018. China is training a much larger proportion of engineering graduates than the US and its
closing the gap in natural sciences. This will increase the pool of science and engineering human capital in
China.
China’s Research and Development spending as a share of GDP is still below other nations but on an
upwards trend.
The 2020 East Asian Trade Deal
EVALUATION: Because of China’s strong economic growth, it has been able to commit to huge domestic
infrastructure projects that will increase the rate of growth and make the country more competitive – China is
opening nearly 50 high bridges a year whilst the rest of the world combined its opening 10
However, this has been debated…
Some realist commentators argue that this level of investment in infrastructure is unsustainable – the
Chinese may not be able to maintain and repair these structures, which will hinder its growth
Although the Chinese government has reduced borrowing caps for local government to build infrastructure, it
is difficult to see how these loans will be paid back – greater budget deficit
A $590 billion spending package in 2008-09 shielded China’s economy from the global crisis but burdened
local government and state firms with piles of debt
EVALUATION: It is clear that China’s economy is hardly as secure as it first appears. However, it is true that its
economic power still outweighs most other nations, suggesting that it is indeed a superpower.
Likewise, although it has reduced borrowing caps for local government to build
superpower.
Like America, China Realists like Christopher Layne have drawn attention to how China is now a neo-colonial power:
is a neo-colonial China is Africa’s biggest trading partner and in 2014 Africa-China trade amounted to $200 billion
China’s economic China’s economic outreach shows that it is a superpower
might China’s growth rate over the past 20 years has been remarkable, with its share of global GDP rising from 4%
to 18%
Since 2008, 35% of global economic growth has been Chinese
In comparison to the west, China’s economy weathered much better during the 2008 Financial Crisis, and by
2010, the Chinese economy was 90 times greater than it had been since 1978
China own a sizeable chunk of America’s debts – $1.168 trillion in 2018, giving it economic leverage in trade
negotiations
China was ranked number one for maths and science in the OECD’s Program for International Student
Assessment in 2018. China is training a much larger proportion of engineering graduates than the US and its
closing the gap in natural sciences. This will increase the pool of science and engineering human capital in
China.
China’s Research and Development spending as a share of GDP is still below other nations but on an
upwards trend.
The 2020 East Asian Trade Deal
EVALUATION: Because of China’s strong economic growth, it has been able to commit to huge domestic
infrastructure projects that will increase the rate of growth and make the country more competitive – China is
opening nearly 50 high bridges a year whilst the rest of the world combined its opening 10
However, this has been debated…
Some realist commentators argue that this level of investment in infrastructure is unsustainable – the
Chinese may not be able to maintain and repair these structures, which will hinder its growth
Although the Chinese government has reduced borrowing caps for local government to build infrastructure, it
is difficult to see how these loans will be paid back – greater budget deficit
A $590 billion spending package in 2008-09 shielded China’s economy from the global crisis but burdened
local government and state firms with piles of debt
EVALUATION: It is clear that China’s economy is hardly as secure as it first appears. However, it is true that its
economic power still outweighs most other nations, suggesting that it is indeed a superpower.
Likewise, although it has reduced borrowing caps for local government to build
superpower.
Like America, China Realists like Christopher Layne have drawn attention to how China is now a neo-colonial power:
is a neo-colonial China is Africa’s biggest trading partner and in 2014 Africa-China trade amounted to $200 billion
