China - Pulling the Curtain Back Part II: Is China now the world's largest economy? What are the implications?

The 1989 Tiananmen Square Revolt was crushed by the People's Liberation Army as Deng Xiaoping reasserted the dominance of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Against the backdrop of a rapidly expanding economy, Deng saw fit to reject any form of democracy in the new China. This event garnered worldwide attention and exposed deep insecurity of the CCP. At the same time, China reached an inflection point at which it tried to reshape its economy from that of an exporter of low value manufactured and assembled products to one dominated by domestic consumption. This change would be coincidental with a growing emphasis on innovation and the elevation of millions into China's middle class. Is this a" Thucydides Trap" scenario? What would be the impact on the U.S. and China as trading partners? Why did the U.S. play such a significant role in China's ascension into the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001? Since then, China has emerged as the WTO's largest exporter and the largest trading partner of the U.S. and the Eurozone. The allegations of unlawful transfer of technology and the outright theft of intelligent property are legion. What is the truth? What are the risks of setting up facilities in mainland China? Have China and the U.S. become too interdependent? As China expands its military capabilities, should the U.S. feel threatened? Is China and the CCP realistically threatened by Taiwan, Hong Kong, Tibet, India, Xinjiang?
Purpose: Learn about China's shifting role on the world economic stage and what it means for the future
Facilitator: Mike Quinlan