More Americans See China as World’s Leading Economic Power

[beijingwalker]

More Americans See China as World’s Leading Economic Power
In 20 years, more believe that America will have number one economy
February 24, 2016 10:35 am


More Americans believe that China is the world’s leading economic power, not the United States, according to a Gallup poll.

Fifty percent of Americans believe that China has the top economy, while 37 percent of Americans say the United States is number one. Those percentages shift when asking about the economy in 20 years. Thirty-four percent say China will be number one, and 44 percent say America will be number one.

“In 2000, when the U.S. economy was booming, nearly two-thirds of Americans saw their own country as the leading global economic power,” states the report. “However, by the next time Gallup asked about this—in February 2008, as the U.S. was in a recession and China’s economy was growing at nearly 10 percent annually—China had edged ahead of the U.S., 40 percent vs. 33 percent, and Japan had slipped to third.”

The report finds that both Republicans and Democrats are more optimistic about America’s economic outlook. “Gallup now finds more Americans predicting that the U.S. rather than China will be the world’s leading economic power in 20 years,” the report explains.

“Whether China or the U.S. is the larger economic power is not entirely straightforward,” states Gallup. “On the basis of raw GDP, the U.S. is still larger, but when accounting for prices and consumer purchasing power, the International Monetary Fund recently declared China biggest.”

“Regardless, China’s rapid economic growth over the past decade or more, along with the United States’ economic struggles, likely contributed to Americans’ perceptions that China had overtaken the U.S.”

More Americans See China as World’s Leading Economic Power

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

That's because their media has been blaring CHINA NUMBER 1 ECONOMY (subtext: by PPP) for several years now.

It just goes to show that actual facts don't really matter in this situation.

It's all a game of perception, and it serves American interests to "exaggerate" our capabilities for public consumption. And it serves our interests to understate our capabilities. Unfortunately America has a lot more media influence so their narrative wins out.

 

[C130]

it's no secret everyone is looking to China for growth.

but now look at China it's slowing down, the BRICS aren't what we thought they would be.

Brazil-failing
Russia-sanctions,recession. failing
India-growing
China-slowing,corruption,bubbles
South-failing

just look around!! the world sees weakness and we are heading for another great recession or worse a depression


not even China can spend it's self out of this mess

 

[Gijoe]

it's no secret everyone is looking to China for growth.

but now look at China it's slowing down, the BRICS aren't what we thought they would be.

Brazil-failing
Russia-sanctions,recession. failing
India-growing
China-slowing,corruption,bubbles
South-failing

just look around!! the world sees weakness and we are heading for another great recession or worse a depression


not even China can spend it's self out of this mess

India growing lol grow some curry? You are a stupid Indian.

 

[Aepsilons]

That's because their media has been blaring CHINA NUMBER 1 ECONOMY (subtext: by PPP) for several years now.

It just goes to show that actual facts don't really matter in this situation.

It's all a game of perception, and it serves American interests to "exaggerate" our capabilities for public consumption. And it serves our interests to understate our capabilities. Unfortunately America has a lot more media influence so their narrative wins out.

Just amazing how perceptions have changed in just 30 years time , tho, my friend. Damn impressive.

 

[Desertfalcon]

Just amazing how perceptions have changed in just 30 years time , tho, my friend. Damn impressive.

No kidding. It was not long ago that Japan was the feared economic rival to America. Headlines of Japanese buying Rockefeller Center, movies like Rising Sun (1993), etc. were all part of that phenomenon. Now, Japan is scarcely mentioned in American culture, despite the fact that Japan is still the third largest economy in the world after America and China. Perception...

 

[Aepsilons]

No kidding. It was not long ago that Japan was the feared economic rival to America. Headlines of Japanese buying Rockefeller Center, movies like Rising Sun (1993), etc. were all part of that phenomenon. Now, Japan is scarcely mentioned in American culture, despite the fact that Japan is still the third largest economy in the world after America and China. Perception...

Japan does not have the strategic depth to compete on the industrial and manufacturing scale with the likes of China and America. What the world saw in Japan in he 1980s is just a fraction of what the world has just begun to see in China, which is a continental size civilization state, with a massive industrial and manufacturing power. Japan is but 1/10th the size of China. So , ultimately, Japan is just a fraction of China's potential.

My friend...

 

[Desertfalcon]

Japan does not have the strategic depth to compete on the industrial and manufacturing scale with the likes of China and America. What the world saw in Japan in he 1980s is just a fraction of what the world has just begun to see in China, which is a continental size civilization state, with a massive industrial and manufacturing power. Japan is but 1/10th the size of China. So , ultimately, Japan is just a fraction of China's potential.

My friend...

I wouldn't disagree, although size and population are just a couple of factors. Clearly China will become the world's largest economy soon, unless she does something of unimaginable stupidity like blunder into a war with the USA and/or Japan, etc.

 

[Aepsilons]

I wouldn't disagree, although size and population are just a couple of factors. Clearly China will become the world's largest economy soon, unless she does something of unimaginable stupidity like a war with the USA and/or Japan, etc.

War? Any student of political science and international affairs will see that China is moving towards integration on a global scale upon which a requisite of is peace; i refer to the glorious One Belt One Road Paradigm. What Japan had but only conceptualized in thought through the Great East Asian Co Prosperity Sphere 70 years ago, the Chinese are doing this through action and through eloquent prose through her exports abroad , centered on economic interconnectivity. One of the things you need to study and begin to unravel about China, my American colleague, is that China , like Japan, invests on the notion of Omnidirectional foreign policy, and belief in multidimensional relationships with power players, which need not necessarily focus on securitized modes of transmission. China's eloquent calculation in Iran, in Russia, In Syria, in Japan, in the EU, North America, Africa and also in South Asia bears testimony to this ..... proficiency , efficiency. Mind you -- they are doing this tho they are still a developing nation , not at all yet at par with highly industrialized and developed nations like say Japan, S. Korea, US, Germany, UK, et al. Still, their public marketing brand machine succeeds and gains headway --- and this culture grows.

The problem i have with American-focused world view is that it tends to emphasize on securitized based solutions to world problems requiring logical pragmatic framework in assessment. It doesn't cultivate a spirit of mutuality and cooperation, rather, is dismissive of said needs based phenomena.

 

[Desertfalcon]

War? Any student of political science and international affairs will see that China is moving towards integration on a global scale upon which a requisite of is peace; i refer to the glorious One Belt One Road Paradigm. What Japan had but only conceptualized in thought through the Great East Asian Co Prosperity Sphere 70 years ago, the Chinese are doing this through action and through eloquent prose through her exports abroad , centered on economic interconnectivity. One of the things you need to study and begin to unravel about China, my American colleague, is that China , like Japan, invests on the notion of Omnidirectional foreign policy, and belief in multidimensional relationships with power players, which need not necessarily focus on securitized modes of transmission. China's eloquent calculation in Iran, in Russia, In Syria, in Japan, in the EU, North America, Africa and also in South Asia bears testimony to this ..... proficiency , efficiency. Mind you -- they are doing this tho they are still a developing nation , not at all yet at par with highly industrialized and developed nations like say Japan, S. Korea, US, Germany, UK, et al. Still, their public marketing brand machine succeeds and gains headway --- and this culture grows.

The problem i have with American-focused world view is that it tends to emphasize on securitized based solutions to world problems requiring logical pragmatic framework in assessment. It doesn't cultivate a spirit of mutuality and cooperation, rather, is dismissive of said needs based phenomena.

I can only say that you write beautifully. If only it were true. Unfortunately for you, the actual fears expressed by China's neighbours, the massive Asian arms race that is a direct result of China's military expansion, the new forging of regional alliances to combat Chinese power-projection, render your beautiful prose to be rather meaningless.

 

[Aepsilons]

I can only say that you write beautifully. If only it were true. Unfortunately for you, the actual fears expressed by China's neighbours, the massive Asian arms race that is a direct result of China's military expansion, the new forging of regional alliances to combat Chinese power-projection, render your beautiful prose to be rather meaningless.

What i would encourage and recommend to you @Desertfalcon is to develop a more comprehensive and organic approach , a needs based approach , to assessing current geostrategic issues in the world. You are an american, and one thing that i have been always impressed by many of my american students was always the ability to utilize an objectivistic and creative research inquiry style , that deigns to look at the bigger picture, alternative frameworks, and on meta-analysis. You're a bright lad, young man. Discern on these issues, and let the truth set you free.

Regards, dear boy.

 

[Desertfalcon]

You're a bright lad, young man. Discern on these issues, and let the truth set you free.

Regards, dear boy.

Um, I'm 54, retired from 20 years of military service from literally, all over the world, having lived and worked in more than two dozen countries. The veteran of two wars, a couple of other minor ones, and I have a university degree in history.

 

[Aepsilons]

Um, I'm 54, retired from 20 years of military service from literally, all over the world, having lived and worked in more than two dozen countries. The veteran of two wars, a couple of other minor ones, and I have a university degree in history.

I had thought you were a college student. However, thanks for your personal experience sharing.

PS. a degree in history? what area in history?

 

[Desertfalcon]

PS. a degree in history? what area in history?

My emphasis was Latin American history but I continue to read much military history, diplomatic history, etc. My senior thesis was on the Chilean coup of 1973.

 

[Piper]

What i would encourage and recommend to you @Desertfalcon is to develop a more comprehensive and organic approach , a needs based approach , to assessing current geostrategic issues in the world. You are an american, and one thing that i have been always impressed by many of my american students was always the ability to utilize an objectivistic and creative research inquiry style , that deigns to look at the bigger picture, alternative frameworks, and on meta-analysis. You're a bright lad, young man. Discern on these issues, and let the truth set you free.

Regards, dear boy.

Stop toying with Diplo-Speak!

While certain conclusions of yours have merit. The fact remains US is not overtly concerned with China in National Security scenario due to deep linkages with between our economies. As on date McDonalds theory holds true.
The jousting which you see are the part and parcel as much influenced with Internal ebbs and flows as external actions.

I am sure you are aware about MIC in states and such a behemoth needs an enemy to justify it's continued existence. China though it's pre-mature actions and aggressive posture provide the optics necessary to persuade congress to fund and feed the US Defence Industries. The real scenario is that US can cut back drastically on it's large capital acquisition and still be reasonably safe for decades from any threat to mainland.

Now coming to economy - this where it gets interesting. Despite what Trumps and Sanders of the world might say - China and other countries with whom we have trade relationships are essential to support Consumer based model of American Markets. However the downside to this is that it benefits countries like China and India disproportionately leading to higher growth vis-a-vis US. In a zero sum game, America can screw China but in process screws itself. American being a rational actor instead choses to accept the inevitable emergence of China as a pre-eminent global economy provided China behaves rationally.

One has to appreciate the multi-dimensionality of Global Politics - this is not a single issue relationship nor a single approach issue. US engages with it's partners on multiple fronts with varying postures.

For Eg. Just recently US won a lawsuit against India in WTO which it filed as India was subsidising it's domestic Solar Panel Producers. This is in stark contrast to unprecedented cooperation b/w US and India on climate change issue.

The above example highlights the fact that even on a issue like Climate Change with a single country US adopts differing postures based on it's interest.

I think most posters on PDF are too confined in their world view and give undue importance to news which in greater scheme of things is just one move in what is an infinite move chess game.