| Summary: | China's reform and modernization have led to extraordinary economic growth. Statistical data reveal that the economy's dynamism foreshadows a prominent military in the future. This unfolding development has led to both negative and positive views of China in the international community. Will China's rise threaten U.S. interests and lead to China becoming an adversary? Or, will it serve as a regional stabilizer and help to solve problems in Asia? Competing theoretical frameworks offer a means to analyze the validity of the two perspectives on the significance of China's rise. Historical case studies involving Germany, Japan, Russia, Great Britain, and the United States provide an opportunity for a comparative analysis of the rise of China. The future outlook need not be negative. China's leadership is in transition. Democracy and greater economic interdependence are possible outcomes. In light of China's military potential, it will be increasingly important to see not only how China relates to the outside world, but also how China evolves politically. Assessing the implications of China's military modernization is necessary for the understanding of its critically important trend in world affairs. China's desire to be a major regional power and a more powerful presence on the global stage, in military as well as political and economic terms, means that U.S. decision makers will need to design policies founded on a comprehensive analysis of the implications of the rise of China.
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