What country is going to become the next superpower? Is there going to be a new superpower at all, or is the United States going to hold that position for the 21st century, just like it did with the better part of the 20th. I say we begin with a country that gets almost 24/7 media coverage about their already pre determined inevitable future position as a superpower. 
CHINA
CHINAThe People's Republic of China, or Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó in pinyin (chinese with Roman characters) is already a great power and according to many, well on it's way to becoming a superpower. Why? Why you ask, is this third world country expected to rise up to become the dominant power in the world? (Well probably you won't ask that, I just needed a rhetorical question).
Mostly because of one thing. It's economy. China's economy is growing extremely fast, having quadrupled in the last 30 years, currently being the world's fourth largest economy, just after Germany, growing at about 10 % a year. (For those of you out there who doesn't realize how much that is, well...it's extremely much for a major economy). China is already established as a major power in world affairs, having substantial interests in Africa and being able to project their power on a tremendous scale regionally and rapidly gaining means to project it in equal magnitude on a global scale.
China's military is the largest in the world (counting number of troops) and one of the most powerful. Much of their military materiel is unfortunately for them however quite outdated and/or primitive, due to a period of historical reliance on Soviet technology and cooperation. They have however started rearming and updaating the military. (Mind you this is not real news, it's been going on for some time now...). Apart from that, worth mentioning considering China's military abillities, is that they are a nuclear power, and have a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
This fact might chill you a little, even though I've talked about a whole bunch of tecnologically inferior military materiel.
CIA estimates estimate (wow, creative use of words there...) that the real Chinese military budget can be as much as twice as large as the official figure published by Beijing, thus making it the second largest military budget in the world, at ca. 120 billion USD, with the world leader, the US' at 623 billion USD and the closest competitor France being at 78 billion.
Apart from that, worth mentioning about the chinese armed forces is that they lag significantly behind the USA, and the major european countries (Britain, France etc.) technologically.
Although their power projection abillities are increasing, China is at the moment also way behind the United States (and the EU for that matter if one would count it as a single body) in terms of military global power projection abillities. For instance they lack a long range airforce and a bluewater navy (a navy that can cruise around worldwide).
This is far from all obstacles though.
The PRC regime isn't exactly politically stable, and political stabilization might become a difficult obstacle to overcome for the Communist Party Regime. China isn't wonderland. don't get me wrong, it's not the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany, but it's absolutely. Not. Even close. To wonderland. People who try to make their voices heard, speaking for human rights and democracy get drowned out by party propaganda and might probably get locked up.
The fact that china has political separatist groups within it's borders that aren't too friendly too the regime (obviously) can create alot of internal problems for China.
Why? You ask, why can't the CCP just knock them down, kill a few leaders, end of story?
Because China is moving in the direction of freedom, and that means that the CCP will one day fall, just like the USSR. When people have tasted freedom, they are much more reluctant to give it up than they even were getting it in the first place. Trust me, the CCP will fall, because if they move back to Maoist China politically, then they will loose all that they have: Growth.
The communist party will fall, maybe in 50 years, maybe in 20. How can I know that?
Sure, there might have been equally much demonstration and separatist movements against Beijing during Mao's time, but then the regime didn't care.
Now it does, meaning that it is going to have to adapt more and more to western ideals, and listen the rest of the world. Currently the world leaders ideals are contrary to those of China, (democracy and freedom vs. centralpower and dictature), and as long as things stay that way, China will adapt after the world. (And No, China probably won't get so much money that they can just neglect the rest of the world, because in order to reach that position, China has to walk the road of liberalization.)
Other potential problems include water shortage, food crisis (to little food to feed everyone), a poorly organized industrial complex (when it comes to natural recources), too much pollution and exploitation of industrial recources, a too wide gap between the highest income takers and the lowest and population ageing. Etcetera.
What do I think then, will China take over the world or not?
I do not think that China will take over the world, the already established powerful western powers will stop them from becoming a lone superpower - a hyperpower.
The PRC will however no doubt gain even more significant influence in worldaffairs, effectively being one of the possible nations that will push the USA down from it's lone superpower status.
The world vill probably not become bipolar (US - China)either, but multi polar, with many great powers.
Now, let's jump to other more important facts.
On thirsday I'll get ** years old.
So.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!
:D
See ya.
Signing off.
A.A.
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