Is China in the path to be the ultimate super power?

If they loosen the Party bonds, allow free speech and elections, and directly address the corruption issues they will become the most powerful nation on earth, and if they do the necessary things, that won’t be a bad outcome. If the Party bosses try to hang on to power they will always be second rate.

@dpworkin‘s answer is correct but I am not sure if they will be the “ultimate” super power. They have to be very careful in controlling the massive rapid growth occurring over there. The people are getting a taste of the finer things in life and want more of it and that could overwhelm their ability to keep their growth from spiraling out of control and break the bank over there. People now want health care and benefits and quickly their cheap goods and services are getting too costly and they are rapidly losing export business to Korea, India and Indonesia.

A couple of main items that mayl hold China back. one is the labor force. Chinese people are now demanding more pay and benefits, just like America. this rising demand, by the Chinese, is and can upset the internal strength of China. turmoil is likely. use of available energy sources to run the country are at at all-time high. this, again, can cause turmoil due to rising prices, lack of fuel and low salaries.

That’s what my father in law told me 20 years ago. He said, “Watch China.”
He was one of those naturally smart guys who made millions and didn’t understand why us normal people didn’t “get it.”

China will be successful. However, unless the top dogs stop being so greedy and begin to share the wealth with the general population their success will be short lived. You will soon see many Chinese ex-patriots living in other countries, presumably involved in the “Import – Export” business but actually living on wealth they earned/stole from their country.
It will take generations for this to change unless there is a revolt. Sad.

They have a lot of people in their military, but it’s largely untested. The last time they actually fought anybody was the brief war they had with Vietnam in 1979, and they sort of got their butts kicked by battle-hardened Vietnamese forces.

They also lack a blue-water navy. They’ve been building submarines and frigate-class warships, but they’re a long way from a carrier fleet. They do build pretty good missiles, but their aircraft are largely copies of Russian designs and would be outmatched by them, not to mention the U.S. and NATO.

This isn’t to say they can’t grow, but they’re still a long way from superpower status militarily.

i think the motherland will split in accordance with economic demographics, i think Anarchy of some description, syndicalism or maybe a transition of a less ideological nature could ensue, but on a provincial level. the Chinese may have the appropriate temperament, aptitude and maturity to realise a radical economic model that is less identifiable as traditionally Capitalist or Communist.

They already are.
Go ahead, try and take the bone away from that dog.

Not yet. They lack true imagination and creativity. There is no five year plan for revolutionary innovation. China can help us with economy of scale for example for solar panels.

The smartest Chinese professors teach in the US.

@mattbrowne That might be true, but the Chinese people are much, much more hardworking, ambitious, and success-driven tnan the majority of Americans. This, coupled with the fact that they have a lot of manpower, will ultimately make them numero uno.