China's Rise and the Evolving Definition of Superpower Status
Quick Look
As China emerges as a peer competitor to the United States, the article questions whether it has become a superpower, arguing that the term reflects an outdated 20th-century conception of power and responsibility in global affairs.
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Why It Matters
The term 'superpower' originated during World War II to describe the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union as states with exceptional military and geopolitical capabilities shaping the post-war order.
As China has emerged as a peer competitor to the United States in many areas, an increasingly familiar question is whether it has become a superpower. The question, however, may rest on a definition of power that belongs to another era.
It reflects a different conception of what power is for, and perhaps what constitutes responsible power in the 21st century.
The term “superpower” dates from the second world war. In his 1944 book The Super-Powers: The United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union – Their Responsibility for Peace, American political scientist William T.R. Fox identified the three as a new category of states whose military and geopolitical capabilities gave them an exceptional role in shaping the post-war order.
Open Questions
- What criteria should define superpower status in the 21st century?
- How does responsible power differ from traditional military dominance?
- What role should emerging powers play in global governance?
