Can China turn national power into world leadership?
As global turbulence grows, projections for 2027 place China first in national strength, but when will it become a global arbiter?
Quick Look
Projections for national strength in 2027 place China first with a widening lead, raising questions about whether and when it might become a global arbiter.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Projections of national strength for 2027 evaluate resources, territory, economic strength, and military power.
As turbulence grows in many countries, it is tempting to ask if there is a global hegemon that can sort everything out fairly.
Our latest projections of national strength for 2027 take into account resources, territory, economic strength and military power. They still put China in first place, with its lead over other countries widening. But when might China move beyond leading the ranking to exert decisive influence over the world’s trouble spots and become a global arbiter?
To explore that question, we should first look at how states have assessed national power. Ancient rulers counted people, revenues, troops, ships and resources but these were separate assessments, not a single measure of national power.
Open Questions
- When might China exert decisive influence over world trouble spots?
- How do modern state power assessments differ from ancient methods?
