Facing China's Limits by Christopher Flavin and Seth Dunn Facing China's Limits by Christopher Flavin and Seth Dunn With its GNP rising at an average rate of more than 10 percent over the past few years, China has finally emerged as a true economic superpower. Measured in terms of purchasing power, China's economy now trails only the United States and Japan.
China already consumes more grain, red meat, and fertilizer than the United States does.
It has also recently become a net importer of oil and grain, adding to global demand for these commodities. China's dilemma is its combination of huge population and meager slice of the world's resources. With roughly the same geographic size as the United States, China has four and a half times as many people. Despite these limits, China has managed reasonably well as a mainly rural, agricultural country. Over the past two decades, it has made substantial progress in improving nutrition and in providing basic amenities like health care and education to its people.