Will China Become the next Super Power?

China will learn from and replicate the infrastructure of the West

Question: Will China Become the next Super Power?
Position‹2 of 2: Yes, China will become the next superpower
Argument‹2 of 2: China will learn from and replicate the infrastructure of the West

China sends many students to North American and European universities. Many of these students go on to gather skills from the most powerful technology companies in Silicon Valley and beyond. The successful models of these companies can be brought back and adapted to China's needs.

The argument

The growth of Chinese infrastructure has been so exponential in recent years, that it will soon match US dominance in these sectors. Also, they seldom rely on outside influence for the development of their own technology and media, and strongly regulate the presence of foreign products in the country. The ascendancy of companies like Huawei are examples of the growing success of homegrown tech in China. If the trend continues, they will eventually have no need for US tech products. The same goes for growing media investment in China, with the country enjoying booming film and news media sectors. Even when they do use foreign infrastructure, it is primarily to bolster their own growth. Chinese students study at American universities only to return and invest their learning in China. Plus, many Asian universities are climbing the global rankings and moving past the well known US and European institutions.

Premises

[P1]Chinese infrastructure has grown so fast it will soon match US dominance, and China rarely relies on outside influence for its own technology and media while tightly regulating foreign products. [P2] Homegrown successes like Huawei and a booming domestic film and news sector show China will eventually need no US tech, and even its use of foreign infrastructure — students trained at American universities returning home to invest their learning — serves its own growth, as Asian universities climb past US and European rivals. [C] Therefore China will learn from and replicate the West's infrastructure, and so will become the next superpower.

Counter-arguments

The US's dominance in media, tech, and higher education is too established for China to threaten. China is seeing growth in these sectors, but the US is still a huge destination and resource for international investment in these sectors. The US is home to half of the top 10 ranked universities globally, with China having zero. Additionally, Hollywood's reputational dominance in the global film industry means that its influence is far greater than China's, even if the Chinese film industry continues to grow. Most importantly, China's growth is reliant on borrowing from the US's successes. With their students in US universities and reliance on modeling from American influence, the US has the ability to weaken China, if necessary.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] The US's established influence in tech, media, and academia is too large to overcome. [Rejecting P2] The US holds the keys to the kingdom and can limit China's ability to borrow, learn, and replicate US infrastructure.