China vs US (+ Russia) - superpowers

Question 1

summary of history

Answer 1

• end of WWII in 1945 = bipolar world, US vs Russia
• Fall of soviet union 1991 = unipolar world, US
• last 20 years = multipolar, US vs rising China and Russia

Question 2

What makes a superpower

Answer 2

• landmass
• population
• location
• economic power
• resources
• hard power = military force
• soft power = influence, language, media etc
• smart power = fusing both hard and soft power

Question 3

USA current stats and strengths

Answer 3

• first country to develop nuclear weapons
• only major power not to suffer economic ruin after WWII
• set up NATO, UN, IMF, World Bank
• control Panama Canal = more efficient trade routes
• 800 military bases (mostly outside of US)
• $700 bil budget
• 2.3 mil personnel
• gaining overseas territories eg. Hawaii, Guam, Cuba
• spread culture and language from media, hollywood, companies (eg. Apple, Tesla, Coca cola)

Question 4

China current stats and strengths

Answer 4

• Silkroad and Belt road initiative = 6 new routes to take goods in and out of china eg oil from Middle East through Pakistan (allies)
• biggest army and territory in 3 continents
• militarising Spratly islands
• more isolationist so shields it’s population from western influence
• building in less developed countries - mostly corrupt governments and large population
• allies with afghanistan, ukraine and iraq, all in war
  developing quickly
• countries cant pay back loan and become debated to china eg. sri lanka got loaned $1.5 bil to build a port but couldn’t pay back so gave china control of the port which is a key stop on maritime silk road
• chinese communities established
• 7/10 biggest construction companies

Question 5

Russia current stats and strengths

Answer 5

• Svalbard - mines in Barrenburg give them a claim if any oil found
• most of Russia’s coast is on arctic sea and ice melting gives access to new oceans
• invasion of Ukraine as has very fertile land, lots of land, western and used to be part of the soviet union - attack to defend
• Russia huge so hard to take all of it
• move capital from st Petersburg to Moscow as it’s further inland
• so much space for military bases and exercises