Another thing that dooms China in the very long run is demographics. Thanks to the government-forced one child policy, China will likely get "old" before it gets rich. China's population is aging at a velocity never before seen on Earth. It's median age has gone from 20 something to 40 something in scant 2 generations. By 2040, 40% of China's population will be over the age of 65. History shows it's not possible to be a massive economic or military power when you're people are supporting that many elderly people. Not to mention that China is 75% desert and is rapidly running out of water. Not to mention the fact that China's cities' air is so dirty that it's equal to smoking TEN PACKS of cigarettes a day (dwarfing Los Angeles' smog). Not to mention that China's waterways are filled with sewage, garbage, and dead fish thanks to massive pollution... China seems like an all conquering behemoth sometimes but it possesses none of the strengths of the West. There is no rule of law. There is no private property. There is no government accountability. There is little individual freedom. The ONLY thing that shows an ability to generate economic growth over the long haul is increasing productivity. China is showing no real growth in productivity. Population size isn't the only thing that matters when it comes to economics. The average American worker is 20 times more productive than China's. ALL the Western countries are FAR ahead of it also. The "decliners" have been at it since the 1950's. I would say the fact that the U.S. is now the world's largest producer of natural gas and the second largest producer of oil changes the equation. The U.S. has massive natural resources, including "rare earth" materials. China holds no inherent monopoly on anything.