Rising China - what are the issues?

China - The elephant in the room that we can no longer ignore. After sitting on the back burner of global politics for decades, China is now acknowledged to be On the Rise. To what does China aspire? Economic power? Hegemonic influence? Cultural dominance? Or just to be able to feed its people?

Japan and India have caught the world's attention before. But it is because of Rising China, that the USA has this year formally announced the shift in its overall foreign policy focus - to Asia. Future military, economic, and social plans are evolving around this anticipated global power shift. But the enigmatic question remains: what is the nature of the future of China, both within and without? Who is China?

With the coming of age of the One Child generation, we see a more educated, consumerist culture rising that has less time for ideology, and more for branding and imaging. This new group has been alternatively ridiculed as the
'I want' generation, and pitied as the future sole caretakers of their family. But one thing is certain, they have pressure to be commercially successful.

We have watched as Chinese entities have launched massive efforts in Africa in order to secure labour and natural resources. And we have seen the dollars piling up in Chinese foreign reserves. And in the news, are stories of nationalist fervour.

What are the issues that all of this raise? Will China be like the USA when it gains more and more power and influence? Or the opposite?

What will the future hold for China? For Chinese people?
What will the future hold for ASEAN? For the rest of Asia?
What will the future hold for Europe? For their changing economy?
What will the future hold for the USA? For US allies?
What will the future hold for Africa? The Americas? Australia, New Zealand, others?

How will this affect you?
Politically - Economically - Socially - Personally

How will this affect the world at large?
How do you see:

Chinese culture?
Chinese values?
Chinese people?
Chinese business practices?
Chinese eating habits?
Chinese shopping habits?
Chinese tourist habits?
Chinese music?
Chinese cinema?
Chinese clothes?

Do you have Chinese friends? What do they think about all this?
Have you changed as a result of having those friends?
Have you changed as a result of the new rising of China?

How is this 'China Rising' different from the tiger economies of the Protected content ?
How is this time different from the other times that China has risen in its long past?