Many experts are dubbing the 21st Century the 'Chinese Century' with the prediction that China will become the world's major superpower over the course of this century, but what does that mean? This guide provides resources on modern China, its leadership, foreign policy, and naval and military power. Click through the above tabs for resources such as books, videos, podcasts, articles, reading lists, web resources, and more.
Form of Government - Communist State
Ruling Party - The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is the founding and ruling political party of modern China, officially known as the People’s Republic of China. The CCP has maintained a political monopoly since its founding a century ago, overseeing the country’s rapid economic growth and rise as a global power (Council on Foreign Relations).
President - Xi Jinping (since 2013)
Population - Approx 1.4 billion people
GDP - Approx 17.8 trillion US dollars
According to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) "the U.S. government has for decades been concerned by China’s mercantilism, rapid military modernization, and illiberal approach to human rights". You can read more on this in the paper, Why U.S.-China Relations Are Locked in a Stalemate.
China's World View: Demystifying China to Prevent Global Conflict by
In demystifying contemporary Chinese society, Li helps readers reconceptualize contemporary China and the implications of its growth. He asserts that China's rise will be beneficial for the global order, holding out the hope that with shared understanding and mutual learning the Chinese and Western systems will eventually find a way to peacefully coexist.
China As a Twenty-First-Century Naval Power by
Xi Jinping has made his ambitions for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) perfectly clear, there is no mystery what he wants, first, that China should become a “great maritime power” and secondly, that the PLA “become a world-class armed force by 2050.” He wants this latter objective to be largely completed by 2035. China as a Twenty-First-Century Naval Power focuses on China’s navy and how it is being transformed to satisfy the “world class” goal.
Party of One: The Rise of Xi Jinping and China's Supwerpower Future by
From one of the most admired reporters covering China today, a vital new account of the life and political vision of Xi Jinping, the authoritarian leader of the People's Republic whose hard-edged tactics have set the rising superpower on a collision with Western liberal democracies.
Sovereign Funds: How the Communist Party of China Finances its Global Ambitions by
Zongyuan Zoe Liu offers a comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of the evolution of China’s sovereign funds, including the China Investment Corporation, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, and Central Huijin Investment. Liu shows how these institutions have become mechanisms not only for transforming low-reward foreign exchange reserves into investment capital but also for power projection. In the era of President Xi, state-owned financial institutions have become gatekeepers of the Chinese economy.
