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Of these current foes, China can count many. Tempestuous relationships with neighbors, from Korea to India, have made China a country with a few friends but many rivals. The People’s Republic of China is by far the largest communist nation in the world today and the only one that poses any serious threat to the current global order established by wealthy democratic nations following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Despite founder Mao Zedong’s push for global communist revolution, many fac- ets of Chinese foreign and domestic policies are communist in name only. It has become clear that Chinese desire to become a preeminent power reflects national pride rather than the dream of Maoist revolution. It has also become clear that for China to become a preeminent power, it must leapfrog the United States. It is on pace to do so economically by 2030, although some experts question whether China’s military and technology has already surpassed the American bellwether. China has many concerns besides the supremacy of the United States, however. It is hoping to become a global leader in the dip- lomatic community, taking the reins at the United Nations or the

A statue of Mao Zedong stands in central Lijiang.

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