The long view on China, political Islam and American power

1.  Polls show that a third of Americans believe China will “soon dominate the world”, but despite its remarkable growth, China’s income per capita is only a twenty-fifth of that of the US.

2.  China may deal with its problems and become what the Bush administration calls a “responsible stakeholder” in world politics.

3.  The US’s military might is not adequate to deal with threats such as global pandemics, climate change, terrorism and international crime. These issues require co-operation and the soft power of attracting support.