Barring a natural catastrophe or a revolt by the 900 million plus Chinese who toil in poverty, the Chinese Nation seems likely to reclaim its place as the world's numero uno power.

Erm, when was the last time China was the world's numero uno power?

Erm, when was the last time China was the world's numero uno power?

From a history book:

"China is one of the world's oldest living civilizations. Its written history goes back about 3,500 years. The Chinese were the first to develop the compass, paper, porcelain, and silk cloth. They undertook huge construction projects, such as the Great Wall. Over the centuries, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and other Asian lands borrowed from Chinese art, language, literature, religion, and technology."

And the article reads on...

I certainly don't dispute that China is a very old civilization with important cultural influence, engineering/construction feats, and inventions/scientific discoveries.

The question remains though, at what point in history was China the world's most powerful country?

I'm sure they were very powerful in old times. There was dark ages in Europe, America had nobody but stone age Indians. So china was most advanced country then. They were "superpower" then.

My brother's social scientist teacher told him that china will be superpower pretty soon. Dunno about that.

man this site is filled with red state white trash. china was definatly the most powerful nation on earth less than few centuries ago leading the world in technology and GDP, accounting for 33 percent of the worlds wealth at 1800 while America only accounts for less than a quarter today. and if china didn't decide to be complacent and move its vast armada across the world in the 15th century, china would have dominated history and not northern europeans - who didn't achieved nothing before then. just do some research and youll see your precious columbus cant hold a candle to a 30000 man armada with ships many times larger. btw the natives in the americas had large cities until you punks showed up with your dirty plagues wiping 90 percent of them out. read some history you arragont americans.

Reply #5 By: vertov (Anonymous) - 12/30/2004 5:21:10 AM man this site is filled with red state white trash. china was definatly the most powerful nation on earth less than few centuries ago leading the world in technology and GDP, accounting for 33 percent of the worlds wealth at 1800 while America only accounts for less than a quarter today. and if china didn't decide to be complacent and move its vast armada across the world in the 15th century, china would have dominated history and not northern europeans - who didn't achieved nothing before then. just do some research and youll see your precious columbus cant hold a candle to a 30000 man armada with ships many times larger. btw the natives in the americas had large cities until you punks showed up with your dirty plagues wiping 90 percent of them out. read some history you arragont americans.

Some might say that it is lucky for the West (i.e., the one time unsophisticated cave dwellers of yore), then, that the British turned the Chinese into junkies hooked on opium. I frequently go to Atlantic City to gamble and have observed that most Chinese are chain smokers. Nor is it news for me to tell you that, in part, the American West was won because the American Indians grew partial to the white man's devil juice: aka alcohol. The drug ecasty is very popular here with America’s youth and yet as a Nation, we still manage to be very productive. I would be interested to hear your view on how Chinese society will cope with decadent western behavior such as drug addiction, etc.

During the 19th century, Qing control weakened, and prosperity diminished. China suffered massive social strife, economic stagnation, explosive population growth, and Western penetration and influence. Britain's desire to continue its illegal opium trade with China collided with imperial edicts prohibiting the addictive drug, and the First Opium War erupted in 1840. China lost the war; subsequently, Britain and other Western powers, including the United States, forcibly occupied "concessions" and gained special commercial privileges. Hong Kong was ceded to Britain in 1842 under the Treaty of Nanjing. In addition, the Taiping Rebellion (1851-1864) and the Nian Rebellion (”PŒR‹N‹`) (1853-1868), along with Russian-supported Muslim separatist movements in Gansu province and Chinese Turkestan (i.e. Xinjiang province), drained Chinese resources and almost toppled the dynasty.

China was not a backward country unable to secure the prerequisite stability and security for Western-style commerce, but a highly advanced empire unwilling to admit Western and often drug-pushing commerce, which may explain the West's contentment with informal spheres of influence. China, unlike tropical Africa, was a securable market without formal control. Following the First Opium War, British commerce, and later capital invested by other newly industrializing powers, was securable with a smaller degree of formal control than in Southeast Asia, West Africa, and the Pacific. In many respects, China was a colony and a large-scale receptacle of Western capital investments. Western powers did intervene militarily to quell domestic chaos, such as the horrific Taiping Rebellion and the anti-imperialist Boxer Rebellion. For instance, General Gordon, later killed in the siege of Khartoum, was often credited with having saved the Manchu dynasty from the Taiping insurrection.

By the 1860s, the Qing dynasty had put down the rebellions with the help of militia organized by the Chinese gentry. The Qing dynasty then proceeded to deal with problem of modernization, which it attempted with the Self-Strengthening Movement. However, the Empress Dowager, with the help of conservatives, initiated a military coup, effectively removed the young Emperor from power, and overturned most of the more radical reforms. Official corruption and cynicism made most of the military reforms useless. Some of China's new battleships did not even have gunpowder, because the officials in charge had embezzled the maintenance money. As a result, the Qing's "New Armies" were soundly defeated in the Sino-French War (1883-1885) and the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895).

After the start of the 20th century, the Qing Dynasty was in shambles. Corruption was rampant and population growth had impoverished the people. The Qing court was dominated by Empress Dowager Cixi, a conservative figure who resisted most efforts at reform. The death of the reformist Emperor Guangxu, one day before the death of Cixi (some believe Guangxu was poisoned by Cixi), effectively destroyed any chance China had at effective leadership.

Link

Hey, everyone can thank the President they elected for how China is producing all the same products as we do for a lot less. They should not have been given favored nation status until they changed their society. Instead greed won and the conman who lead this event is not sitting in office. China is NOT a super power now but in due time mark my words they will be and there will not be a damn thing the US or any other country can do about it. What is Bush doing about the laws being broken by China manipalulating their currency, stealing copyrighted technologies, etc also India is doing the same thing. Copying others products and selling them for 50-100% below market value. It does not take a very smart person to figure out that the US will soon be screwed. Look at the trade debt we have with them! In time I will further predict thanks to Bush canceling the AB Missile treaty Russia and China will become allies. Russia announced the new Nuke they built recently this was a clear signal they intend to be a power to be reckoned with. They are also wanting to regain the power they once had. No one can argue this point at all!

David Fox (Anonymous User)- You argue persuasively... but point out nothing new. Perhaps you could educate us on how to combat the fraudulent economic practices that you mention.

BTW, will India & China's path to world domination be smooth sailing, or are these nation-States likely encounter a patch of rough weather along the way?

At any rate, as an American, I personally will not loose any sleep over the concept of people striving to improve their lot in life.

Grasshoppers, is not life so much more than merely staying ahead of the Jones? One final thought, where would you want your children to live 25... 50 plus years from now-- China? India? USA?