Haley Zaremba, OilPrice.com: China’s Superpower Status At Risk As Energy Nightmare Intensifies
China has set its sights high - very high - in terms of economic development, aiming to become not just one of the world’s superpowers by 2049 (the 100 year anniversary of the People's Republic of China) but the leading superpower worldwide. With such lofty goals China has barreled full-speed ahead toward the future, and now it’s starting to look like the nation’s hasty growth is finally catching up with it.
China’s superpower ambitions don’t seem like such a far-fetched idea, considering that China is already the second-largest economy in the world and growing all the time. But for China, this comes with a massive set of challenges.
“China faces a protracted and increasingly difficult struggle to secure energy and water supplies to feed its insatiable appetite. From having to sustain a population over four times that of America’s 330 million, China is already at a severe disadvantage against the world’s incumbent superpower,” reports digital media news site SupChina. “China has only a portion of the U.S.’s oil, gas, and water resources, and that gap in self-sufficiency is likely to widen further.”
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WNU Editor: The U.S. for the past few decades was dependent on outside energy supplies, but that did not stop it from becoming and staying a super power. The Soviet Union had enormous energy reserves and water supplies, but it collapsed as a super-power. There are many factors that make a country a super-power besides having access to energy supplies. As to having access to clean water supplies. This is a big problem for China. They are only now reversing the damage they have done to their environment.
3 comments:
This energy dependence means either China will further collapse, OR, they will start wars around the world where there happens to be oil. But which pretext will they use? Terrorisms? Freedoms? Cheezeburgers?
They (the Chinese) have to come up with their own thing they "export", and that's difficult.. because no one ever said "you know what, I want some of that fascism over there, I like me some fascism or ethno state stuff, that's what I'd like.. wish some troops would bring it"
My guess is they will use the data approach, however. You know, spying on decision makers in oil rich countries, hooking them up with some hot babes, or hot guys (not judging), and then - perhaps in a country where for things like that you get the death penalty, which seems to be often the case in oil rich countries.. you know, with strong blasphemy laws and what not --- would be a shame if that G5 you got there leaked, buddy. Perhaps make that deal, buddy. They will say "friend" though, not buddy.. perhaps make that deal, fliend! :D
ok half kidding ofc, BUT, a very real pathway forward for China, and they have the surveillance power necessary to make it happen, and military - sure, sure they can talk, but actually do it, and perhaps lose (a very realistic scenario given the many geographic, natural resource and global lack of supply chain and partners China has issues with all these points and more)
I agree Fusion. Canada has enormous water resources but they won't last for long given the right apoplectic circumstances. In fact if global warming accelerates well established countries in the world will face invasion by tens of millions of people from the most affected areas looking for the basics of food and water.
WNU,
I agree with you, but the dependence of US on oil was secure by a strong navy and no "island chain" as China has. For Russia you know better than me why USSR fall.
For the water problem, that's a domestic one. Is the bureaucracy will be able to fix it? Why not, but just in time? No.
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