ABSTRACT
The West faces a new communist rival that sees the US and its allies as rivals and seeks to strengthen its regional dominance and global influence: China. While Russia is a great power that has been somewhat on a decline after the fall of communism due to its economic weakness, China has blossomed economically and is becoming a competitor to the West in both economic and political terms. China has become a new superpower.
The aim of the chapter is to explore China’s new role in the international system and the world economy and to put it in a political context. The first part explains the decline under the founder of the People’s Republic of China, Mao Zedong. The second part highlights the economic reforms and the opening up under Deng Xiaoping. The third part discusses China’s economic growth. The fourth part presents Chinese geopolitics. The fifth part depicts the improvisation of the Chinese leadership and its unique combination of the state and the market. The sixth part raises the issue of human rights. The seventh part discusses the political system.
