Potential superpower

China status as a potential or a defacto superpower has been subject of great academic and geopolitical debate,^[11] with China often seen as the only entity that rivals the United States in the 21st century.^[11] Since a 2012 Cornell University - Lund Critical Debate that concluded "China is not yet a superpower",^[12] an increasing amount of proponents have highlighted China's modern military, regional influence, cultural export, rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, economic and manufacturing volume as signs of global dominance in the 2020s.^[13] However, opponents suggest that domestic challenges still persist; such as an ageing and shrinking population, lack of skilled immigration, alongside international concerns of its soft power status due to human rights issues, lack of hard power capabilities through a global military alliance system, and the dominance of the U.S. dollar in global trade.^[14]

There has been great focus on China's growing economic activity on the global stage, in particular where it has been in competition with the United States: for example, the establishment and large-scale expansion in countries joining the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in contrast to traditional western institutions, along with the Belt and Road Initiative and China's role in the worldwide groundings of the Boeing 737 MAX.^[15][16] It has also been argued that there is likely to be growing competition in future between two highly dominant countries, the United States and China, while others begin to lag behind economically.^[17] It has also been predicted that China may overtake the United States as the world's largest economy in the 2020s.^[18] Due to the country's rapidly developing AI industry, China has also been referred to as an "AI superpower".^[19][20][21]

But some have questioned how long this pace of economic growth could continue, with emphasis placed not only on China's very large but ageing and shrinking population of over 1.4 billion, but also long-term effects of pollution within the country that have accumulated during its fast pace of industrialisation.^[22][23][24] The damage to the country's environment has been extremely costly, mostly due to an inability of poor regions to afford environmental regulations,^[25] but also a broader freshwater crisis stemming from inefficient management, pollution, and climate change.^[26] China also has yet to prove attractive to skilled immigration from outside the country in the same way other countries like the United States have.^[27] A supposed lack of soft power is another aspect of contention to China's status as a potential superpower.^[28][29]

The United States military considers China as the US' most capable and formidable adversary.^[30][31] There has been argument that its ties with Russia and Central Asia could see the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation become the "NATO of the East".^[32] It has also been argued that American absence from the Indo-Pacific region during the war on terror has allowed the Chinese to actively challenge the United States as the pre-eminent power in the region.^[33] But others have argued that China is still surrounded by potentially hostile nations, and lacks the friends or allies necessary for it to truly compete with the United States.^[34]

The European Union (EU) has been called a potential superpower, mainly due to its economic power and global political influence. Factors highlighted have included its large population, the size and global reach of its combined economy, and the comparative unpopularity of US foreign policy.^[35][36]

Despite lacking a cohesive military of its own, with military capabilities still in the hands of individual member states, it has been argued that this is irrelevant when considering the status of the EU as a potential superpower.^[37][38] Others disagree, saying that its lack of a unified military structure compared to the United States undermines its claim to be a potential superpower.^[39][40]

There have also been conflicting views about the EU's lack of political integration. Some have argued that its "lower profile" diplomacy and emphasis on the rule of law represent a new kind of geopolitical influence that fulfills the political requirements for consideration as a superpower, rather than simply failing to meet them.^[36][41] Others however argue that its lack of a centralised foreign or defence policy leaves its effectiveness uncertain when compared to that of a more politically integrated union of states such as the United States,^[42][43] and it has even been argued that the EU is little more than an extension of a Europe reliant on or dominated by the United States.^[44]

The European Union has been called a "regulatory superpower" due to the Brussels effect, which suggests that regulations and standards applicable in the EU will also be adopted by numerous countries outside the EU over time.^[45][46][47]

Russia, since its imperial times, has been considered both a great power and a regional power. Throughout most of the Soviet-era, the Soviet Union was one of the world's two superpowers. However, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Russian Federation as its successor state lost its superpower status.^[48] In his 2005 publication entitled Russia in the 21st Century: The Prodigal Superpower, Steven Rosefielde, a professor of economics at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, predicted that Russia would emerge as a superpower before 2010 and augur another arms race. However, Rosefielde noted that such an end would come with tremendous sacrifice to global security and the Russian people's freedom.^{[49][page needed]}

Others however have put forward more pessimistic views towards Russia's ability to regain its superpower status. A mixed opinion has been offered by Matthew Fleischer of the Los Angeles Times, contending that severe climate change would be necessary for much of Russia's inherent natural resources to become viable.^[50]

Several analysts commented on the fact that Russia showed signs of an aging and shrinking population. Fred Weir said that this severely constricts and limits Russia's potential to re-emerge as a central world power.^[51] In 2011, British historian and professor Niall Ferguson also highlighted the negative effects of Russia's declining population, and suggested that Russia is on its way to "global irrelevance".^[52] Russia has, however, shown a slight population growth since the late 2000s, partly due to immigration, quickly rising birth rates, slowly declining death rates.^[53]

In the 21st century, many scholars view Russia's global influence as being in decline.^[54][55] Russia's ability to project hard power was also questioned following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with the Russian military's poor performance prompting economist Paul Krugman to suggest Russia was little more than a "Potemkin Superpower".^[56]

India has seen considerable coverage of its potential of becoming a superpower. Multiple opinions have pointed towards India's rapid economic development as a reason for it to be considered a potential superpower, in particular during the 2010s when it was predicted to outpace China's growth into the future.^[a]

Some commentators made the prediction of India becoming a superpower by 2020, most notably based on A. P. J. Abdul Kalam's book India 2020.^[61][62] In 2019, BJP politician Amit Shah claimed that India would emerge as a superpower in the next 5 years under the rule of Narendra Modi.^[63]

Economists and researchers at Harvard University have projected India's 7% projected annual growth rate through 2024 would continue to put it ahead of China, making India the fastest growing economy in the world.^[64][65] Over and above, India also has the advantage of having a very large and growing young population with a median age of 28, compared to China's median age of 39.^[66] In 2003 Goldman Sachs predicted that India would become an economic superpower by 2050.^[67] In a 2024 interview with The Independent, former UK PM Tony Blair predicted that by 2050 India would be a 'global superpower' along with the United States and China.^[68] In 2025 Former UK PM Rishi Sunak suggested India is an 'economic superpower'.^[69]

While India’s economic growth has continued, some analysts note that inequality remains high and that its trade potential is more limited compared to regional competitors such as China. Although India briefly became the world’s fastest-growing major economy in 2015, its growth rate has fallen below China’s since 2018.^[b] From 2021, India has grow higher than China and^[75] remain the fastest growing major economy.^{[76][77][78][79][80]}

It has also been argued that India's government and bureaucracy is geared against emerging as a superpower, with it being argued that it "does very little collective thinking about its long-term foreign policy goals, since most of the strategic planning that takes place within the government happens on an individual level".^[81]