Reconsidering Western Academic Fascinations, or: China's Rising Star

To deviate a little from this blog's very palpable theme, today's post is not nuclear weapons-related:

A recent New York Times article discusses an increasing trend among younger Americans to move to China for career opportunities:

Shanghai and Beijing are becoming new lands of opportunity for recent American college graduates who face unemployment nearing double digits at home. Even those with limited or no knowledge of Chinese are heeding the call. They are lured by China’s surging economy, the lower cost of living and a chance to bypass some of the dues-paying that is common to first jobs in the
United States.

The fascinating part about all this is not that recent university graduates and young professionals are becoming interested in a country halfway round the world; no, the exciting bit is that the region of interest is shifting. That is, the Islamic world had its opportunity. Now it's time to pass the torch onto China.

Prior to 9/11, most American students' fascination was, I feel, largely with one of two regions: either northern and central Asia (as Russia and the former Soviet states attempted to regain their foothold) or the European subcontinent (as the EU moved from conception into its early stages of formation and cohesion). After September 11, however, many Americans sat up and took notice of the heretofore largely ignored swath of land that stretches from Morocco in the West to Iran in the East. As reported in 2004 by Campus Watch, the demand on US university campuses for Arabic language courses skyrocketed:

Three years after terrorists struck the United States, enrollment in Arab-language courses across the nation is booming and colleges are working to meet growing student interest in Middle Eastern studies and government demand for Arabic speakers. Arabic is now the fastest-growing foreign language on the nation's college campuses ... Statistics gathered by the Modern Language Association showed enrollment in Arabic classes had nearly doubled to 10,596 students between 1998 and 2002.

How interesting that now, as China's economic star is on the rise (and no doubt bolstered by the 2008 Olympics), student enrollment in Chinese language classes is taking off in much the same way it did with Arabic just a few years ago.

What, then, does this shifting trend indicate in terms of US foreign relations? Witness the tremendous focus by the American government on the Middle East over the past 8 years, including two military campaigns in the region. Witness also the strategic alliances formed amongst government, private sector and academic institutions, all conceived in order to foster open dialogue, better understanding and shared mutual interests. Witness, finally, the rise of luxury haven Dubai in the heart of the region.

So -- as resources are exploited; as systems of government are challenged and sometimes replaced; and as foreign investment pours into a hitherto largely neglected region -- how do these changes affect foreign affairs? More importantly, when will the tide turn again?

For now we watch the rise of one of the world's largest countries (in terms of landmass and population) and one of the five recognized nuclear weapons powers. With tons of foreign investment coming in and interest in its language / culture / business ethics steadily on the rise, China is preparing to take the world stage as a true player in global economics and politics. The full scope and depth of China's importance on the world stage has yet to be realized -- though the Chinese government certainly has been flexing its muscle for quite some time now as a permanent member of the UN Security Council. But one thing remains certain: China will play an increasingly important role in global affairs, at both an economic and a military level.

Thinking ahead: when would a shift of focus away from China occur? 10 years from now? Longer? And if and when that shift does take place, what region will become the next great power player? (The Economist last week suggested that from a business perspective, Brazil might just be that place.)