China’s rise

China's growth, both economically and in terms of global impact, has elicited a variety of reactions from the international community, ranging from an ability to improve and advance the global economy to the challenge of becoming a superpower, which concerns the superpowers currently in that position (Brenton & Walkenhorst 2010, p. 584). Notably, China has exponentially expanded its economy by best practice policies of open-door policies and developing close trade links and networks around the world; as a result, it has emerged to present investment and trading opportunities to Western, European, African, and Asian nations. China restructured its economic strategy from self-sufficiency to Export orientation by penetrating international markets and enhancing its visibility by becoming a provider to virtually all needs of consumers in the foreign market ranging from product to service providence. The economists and economic commentators asserts that China's economy has undergone through unprecedented and profound changes over decades to become a force to reckon in the global market (Nuruzzaman 2016, p. 187). Partly, the gains to China's economy will be accorded to its leadership and the concept and business culture they cultivated in the country which included innovativeness, partnership, open-door policy, and networking.

China’s economic development and an opportunity to its citizens and foreign investors

The grip on technology and resultant innovation activities has given China a competitive advantage over its competitors in various ways. Firstly, the country benefits from efficiency in its industries coupled with producing products and items that are consumer satisfying and appealing in the market. Secondly, the technological leadership of China benefits the country through mass production at reduced costs. China also benefits having turned into a destination for foreign investors who seek to leverage the advancement in technology and cheap labor of the country. China’s economy has been supported by remarkable advancement in its infrastructure both on in telecommunication and roads and transport (Wojczewski 2016, p. 53). The railway extension to the Qinghai-Tibet plateau and construction of modern highway networks and multiple-ports has all served to better the trade and business networks with trade partners. The country also has a stable industrialization sector which has consistently realized better yields.

The economic development of China as a nation has presented opportunities to other nations through its citizen's investment activities in foreign countries. Additionally, citizens of other countries too have an opportunity to invest and search for a living in the country. Research examines the growth of China's economy in 2016 as having increased to a percentage of 6.7 with slightly twelve millions jobs created for its citizens. These achievements were realized despite the economic recession in the global economy (Nuruzzaman 2016, p. 178). This result means well for the global community because of potential investments of the China citizens to other countries due t their economic power

The development of Chinese economy has also provided an avenue for other countries’ economic thriving when they establish their plant or facility in China to benefit from cheap labor and leverage on its technological advancement. For example, several countries, including the UK, have resorted to this arrangement of setting their service centers in China thereby gaining from the huge reduction in production and operation costs with ultimate benefit of competitive pricing and advantage in the market. An example is Apple, which is designed in America but produced in China.

China’s development as an external opportunity to the international market

China has contributed immensely in developmental initiatives to specifically the developing countries in Africa; thereby promoting the relations and increasing their prospects of doing business in these countries. The move is interpreted to be beneficial to China in two-folds (Brenton & Walkenhorst 2010, p. 580). Firstly, the state improves its reputation and image on the international face making it be a destination for trade partnering and other economic activities; secondly, China gains from the resources of the foreign country to bolster its economy through setting up industries. Also, the presence of China in these countries increases their bargaining power due to proximity to the government and ease of bidding or scouting for contracts and massive deals.

Low cost manufactured goods

China’s economic development is a plus to other trading blocks and the general international market through offering low priced products and services. The benefits of low-cost China imports to a country are massive and numerous. Especially, the products stimulate competition in the local market resulting in downward movement of prices from the local manufacturers and suppliers to keep pace with the competition (Wojczewski 2016, p. 38). Again, China's low-priced products help to improve the economy of a country through enhancing the purchasing power of the people and eventual quality of living standards as well as preventing inflation from happening. Besides achieving a remarkably significant growth and development in its economy, China's fate has evidently become beneficial to the global economy by making a vital contribution to the world economy. Report from the International Monetary Fund reveals that China is consistently critical to the growth of world economy by contributing up to 39 and 25 percent in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

China has championed free trade and enhanced security among the regional and international trading partners in the recent decades. China is also a member of the WTO (World Trade Organization) making an impact contribution to the policies and plans of the organization to the betterment of the entire international community. As opposed to ancient culture, the country has opened up and invested in partnership and networking across the globe livening their slogan common consultation, common construction, and shared benefits’ (Brenton & Walkenhorst 2010, p. 578). Additionally, China’s belief and efforts to actualize its concept of inclusive global growth has been evident in its investment in infrastructure to open up the technological hub to the international market (Alcaraz et al. 2012, p. 118). Consequently, the country has provided a significant opportunity to other countries to explore and invest in the economic powerhouse thus supporting the global economy.

China is on the forefront advocating for economic globalization with open trade in the international community. The commitment of the country is vital to the achievement of the economic goals and objectives of the international community to realize a robust economy premised on cooperation and liberalism in the global market. In support of its commitment, the country is set to host a global cooperation summit forum dubbed the Belt and Road initiative. The president of China has also shown a positive gesture for cooperation in the growing and developing the world economy (Feldkircher & Korhonen 2014, p. 67). He has cooperated with other world leaders through his attendance and commitment to the annual world economic forums which gives the country an opportunity of collaborating with other international partners in building and uplifting the world's economy thereby benefiting the goals of every country.

Other trade or economic development of China likely to benefit the entire world is its work on innovating non-fossil fuel which most-definitely will accord it a unique economic achievement (Wojczewski 2016, p. 27). The actualization of this project will serve to provide a significantly low-cost alternate energy source to industrial activities thus supporting the world economy. The entry and emergence of China as an economic powerhouse has benefited most of the developing nations through the provision of an alternative to engaging in economic or trade affairs (Nuruzzaman 2016, p. 185). Noteworthy, this development means an increase in the bargaining power for better terms among the developing countries because of the luxury of options and realism of getting value for their money.

Threats to China growth and development to an economic power house

China’s emergent as a potential superpower is reflected in both size and its economy, growth. The communication infrastructure and system of China are highly advanced and impenetrable due to the high-tech security systems of firewalls (Feldkircher & Korhonen 2014, p. 69). The country has also invested massively on internet thereby isolating itself from the rest of the world. The unprecedented rate of growth of China poses a threat to other rival nations because of many reasons. With the rise in China’s economy, the country becomes an attractive partner dealing with; therefore, posing competition to other super nations. The super nations become wary of losing businesses and lucrative contract and business partnership to China due to its fast growth of influence in the international market (Alcaraz et al. 2012, p. 116). Therefore, a predictable international business backdrop for these nations is inevitable. Another phobia for China’s influence and economic power is the likelihood for the country to economically empower its trading partners and also providing them with an option for better terms of engagement compared to the Western nations.

China is increasingly becoming a potential superpower due to its recent activities to reinforce its arsenal and military capacity and prowess; threatening the super nations for a potential rivalry. The country's military budget has grown significantly and faster equipping the Army with high-tech weaponry such as missiles and submarines and a recent breakthrough in aerospace development which further bolsters its national defense capacity and capability.

Controversial Values

The country is also an impediment to the western efforts to sell and enforce the concept of democracy and rights of citizens. China leadership does not believe in democracy and has therefore gagged and dictated on its citizens; thus, its non-committal to the democracy ideologies yet very influential in the global platform is an automatic setback to the efforts to democratize the international community (Feldkircher & Korhonen 2014, p. 64). Some practices perpetrated by China in the foreign markets include exploitation of foreign labor which is against the UN essential requirement for descent and fair treatment to humankind. Additionally, China’s influence is judged to be exploitative because of the un-proportional balance of trade and benefits which favors the nation over its partners. Mostly, China has been accused to be using its economic power, to entice other countries into an unhealthy relationship characterized by workforce exploitation and invasion of foreign minerals (Wojczewski 2016, p. 23). Additionally, its high rate of industrialization activities has emerged to threaten the economy of other nations because its heightened demand for oil and minerals has resulted to the consistent increment in their prices to the detriment of other nations.

China’s activities are a huge threat to the environment and climate wellness. Mostly, the country does not practice restraint concerning the depletion of natural resources and general pollution of the environment and atmosphere. These actions are against the international community efforts to preserve and conserve the natural resources and climate for posterity. China impedes the world's efforts in conserving resource and the environment to prevent resource degradation, global warming, and water shortage. The nation’s increasing demand for raw materials has resulted in a proportionate increase in the prices of oil and minerals. For example, 2008-2013, the country's competition for oil increased prices consequently impacting on the living standards in the West. China has also been accused by its major and leveled trading blocks to be committing economic fraud through undervaluing their exchange rate to their advantage. Despite the large activity and visibility in the international market, China has been consistently blamed for manufacturing the highest volumes of counter-fete goods which gives unhealthy competition (Alcaraz, Domènech & Tirado 2012, p. 107). Counter-feting practice destroys other businesses and economy because of the attraction of people to cheap produce in the market at the expense of authentic products.

Conclusion

The paper concludes that China’s rise is phenomena posing both threats and opportunities to the international community. Contrarily, the rise of China has attracted unease and wariness among certain giant economy countries. These counties, especially from the West, feel threatened by China’s immense penetration and network building thereby increasing competition and reducing their influence and grip on foreign markets. The rise of China is viewed as an opportunity to the international community because of various reasons the country benefits its trading block. The myriad of benefits include China's grants, initiative and donor activities in the developing countries basically in Africa; its expertise in technology has been employed in foreign projects. China also presents an alternative option, besides the west, for trade and economic engagement to the developing nations thereby enhancing the bargaining power of these countries and improving their prospects of getting value for money.

The rise of China has been feared for several reasons as highlighted in the article.

The culture and political inclination of China to anti-democracy which is the exact opposite of the International concept for democracy impede the West's efforts to sell and enforce the idea of democracy. Other ills occasioned by the rise of China include the devastating impact of its economic activities on the environment and climate; exploitation of foreign labor; production of substandard and counterfeit products in the market. China is also viewed as a threat due to its potentiality of becoming a superpower heightening competition and anonymity between super nations.









References

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Brenton, P. and Walkenhorst, P. (2010). Impacts of the Rise of China on Developing Country Trade: Evidence from North Africa. African Development Review, 22, pp.577-586.

Feldkircher, M. and Korhonen, I. (2014). The Rise of China and Its Implications for the Global Economy: Evidence from a Global Vector Autoregressive Model. Pacific Economic Review, Vol.19, no.1, pp.61-89.

Nuruzzaman, M. (2016). China’s rise, the USA and global order: Contested perspectives and an alternative approach. International Area Studies Review, vol. 19, no.2, pp.177-194.

Wojczewski, T. (2016). China’s rise as a strategic challenge and opportunity: India’s China discourse and strategy. India Review, Vol.15, no.1, pp.22-60.