Security Challenge of an Ascendant China: Great Power Emergence and International Stability

The reemergence of China as a great power is arguably the single most important develop­ ment in the post-Cold War world. The rapid economic growth of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) over the past decade, coupled with its high level of defense spending, has stimulated much interest as well as trepidation among policy-makers and analysts across the world. Although the continued augmentation of Chinese power is not predetermined, the profound effects of China’s growing process cannot be underestimated.