Aug. 2 (Asia Today) — The “Chinese Dream” has become one of the most familiar political slogans among China’s younger generations, many of whom have grown increasingly nationalistic in recent years
Comparable in name to the American Dream, the phrase embodies the hope that China will reclaim its place at the center of the world and eventually surpass the United States as the leading global power
Chinese President Xi Jinping popularized the term shortly after becoming general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party in November 2012
During a visit to an exhibition titled “The Road to Rejuvenation” at the National Museum of China, Xi described the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation as the country’s greatest modern dream
He has repeatedly used the phrase since then, turning it into one of the defining slogans of his leadership
The concept gained further public attention in 2013 when well-known Chinese singer and actress Chen Sisi released a patriotic song about the Chinese Dream
The expression has since become firmly established in Chinese political and popular culture. It is widely used in schools, official campaigns and social media posts across the country
Given China’s current economic, military and diplomatic standing, Xi’s vision cannot simply be dismissed as an unattainable fantasy
China possesses the world’s second-largest economy and remains the only country widely viewed as having the economic scale necessary to challenge the United States
Washington has imposed tariffs, export controls and other restrictions in an effort to limit China’s advancement in fields including semiconductors, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing
Despite those pressures, some forecasts suggest China could eventually overtake the United States in overall economic output, although the timing and likelihood remain disputed
China’s military is also far removed from the poorly equipped force it once was
The country has three aircraft carriers and appears to be preparing for additional carrier development. Its expanding nuclear arsenal is also expected to reach about 1,000 operational warheads by 2030
Guo Qingping, a Beijing-based military commentator, said Russia’s performance in the war in Ukraine had exposed limitations in Moscow’s military power
Guo argued that China had become the only country capable of mounting a serious military challenge to the United States
China has also tried to expand its diplomatic influence through infrastructure investment, development programs and deeper relations with countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East
Some observers argue that unpredictable U.S. foreign policy under President Donald Trump has given Beijing additional opportunities to present itself as a more stable international partner
Xi is well aware of China’s growing influence and appears determined to secure his place alongside Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping as one of the most consequential leaders in the history of the People’s Republic
His continued consolidation of power has made extended rule increasingly likely
Xi’s determination is particularly apparent in his approach to Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory despite never having governed the democratically administered island
Rumors have circulated among diplomatic and military observers in Beijing that Xi wants the People’s Liberation Army to possess the capability to take Taiwan by 2027, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese military
The date should not necessarily be interpreted as a confirmed deadline for an invasion. U.S. officials have generally described it as a military capability target rather than evidence that Beijing has decided to launch an attack that year
Xi’s sweeping anti-corruption campaign also reflects his effort to reinforce control over the party, government and armed forces
The campaign has reached senior officials once considered politically untouchable, along with their associates and family members
Chinese authorities announced in January that Zhang Youxia, a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and one of Xi’s most senior military allies, was under investigation for suspected serious violations of discipline and law
The investigation demonstrated that even officials with long personal or family ties to Xi were not necessarily beyond the reach of his military purge
These developments suggest that Xi’s Chinese Dream does not exist solely in the realm of political rhetoric. China has accumulated considerable economic, technological and military power with which to pursue it
Yet the obstacles confronting that dream are also growing
The most consequential may be China’s declining birthrate
Only 7.92 million babies were born in China in 2025, an extraordinarily low figure for a country with a population of about 1.4 billion
The number of births was only slightly more than half the 12.7 million students expected to graduate from Chinese universities in 2026
The demographic consequences are already becoming visible
More than 50,000 kindergartens, elementary schools and secondary schools have reportedly closed in recent years as the number of children has fallen
Those closures represent only the most immediate effects of a broader demographic shift that could shrink the labor force, weaken domestic consumption and place heavier pressure on pensions, healthcare systems and younger workers
A rapidly aging population could also reduce China’s long-term economic growth and undermine the ret and international influence
China’s younger generation faces additional pressures
Many young people are struggling with unemployment, high housing costs and intense competition for a limited number of desirable jobs
Expressions such as “lying flat” have reflected growing frustration among younger Chinese who no longer believe that relentless work will necessarily lead to financial security or upward mobility
Artificial intelligence presents another challenge
China regards the technology as essential to its competition with the United States and is investing heavily in its development. At the same time, automation could eliminate or transform many jobs at a moment when university graduates are already struggling to find employment
China’s ambition to become the world’s leading power is not inherently unreasonable. Nor is the Chinese Dream necessarily a harmful national aspiration
The danger lies in pursuing geopolitical prestige while overlooking the domestic foundations required to sustain it
A country cannot maintain long-term national power through aircraft carriers, nuclear weapons, advanced technology and patriotic slogans alone
It also needs young workers, confident consumers, stable families and citizens who believe they have a meaningful stake in the future
An old Chinese expression warns that going too far can be as harmful as not going far enough
Xi’s pursuit of the Chinese Dream may therefore require more than speed, discipline and centralized authority. It may require recognizing that China’s greatest threat to becoming the world’s leading power could come not from Washington, but from the emptying classrooms and maternity wards within its own borders
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260802010000201
