More than two decades have passed since Chinese economy began to grow each year, at an amazing speed, prompting a legitimate question to arise, which already became a cliché: when will this country reach the top of the world hierarchy? In 2008, when - according to authorised sources - China saved capitalism by eradicating its debt that saved it at the end of last century (David Miliband), experts started to talk about a “hegemonic duopoly” in the international system of states, on the Washington-Beijing axis. In Europe, most pertinent analyses about the fate of the “old continent” have put on the list of credible scenarios a variant in which Europe joins this duopoly, transforming it into a power triangle capable to secure the prosperity and stability of the system.

As a consequence of these data, China’s performance is carefully monitored by global powers interested by its evolution.

Analyses made in various countries - Romania included - speak about China’s emergence as main global economic pole on the horizon of years 2030 and try to accommodate the systemic strategies of the future with these scenarios. An interesting evolution worth mentioning has already occurred: G8 - the organisation that manages global affairs - is giving way to another systemic organisation (G-20), which has the privilege of including China and other emerging states (like India or Brazil), unlike G8. It is obvious that the hierarchy is changing, as China challenges the first position, followed by the so-called emerging powers - Brazil, Russia, India (whose initials form an acronym that is increasingly present in the 21 century’s political analyses about the future: BRIC).

So far, China has already made a few steps in its march toward the peak of world hierarchy. As British analyst Gideon Rachman explains, “Over the last 12 months China has become the world’s largest exporter - overtaking Germany. It also became the largest greenhouse gases polluter and the world’s largest market for vehicles, displacing America in both cases. And China has had the world’s largest foreign reserves for some time. These numbers are cumulatively significant, since they show that the emergence of China as a genuine superpower is not a story set in the future. It’s happening here and now.”

Last week, China scored another success that ranks it first in the world, above the US. According to data released on July 20 by the International Energy Agency - a Paris-based think-tank - China overthrew the US from the position of world’s largest energy consumer. Under the data, China’s energy consumption reached 2,265 bln tonnes of oil equivalent (TOE) last year, against the 2,169 bln TOE of the US. According to the same source, China doubled its power consumption within just a decade, from 1,107 bln TOE in the year 2000.

The IEA director mentioned that the Institute used the same measuring methods as in the previous years, to evaluate China’s energy consumption. The Asian superpower’s performance is in line with the growing consumption trends reported these years, caused by the increase of China’s population and by the stagnating energy consumption by developed economies (US, Europe, Japan). To appease its “energy hunger,” China made massive investments in hydropower plants, wind turbines and nuclear power plants, aimed at curbing its dependence from oil and gas imports.

The explanations of the IEA official came as answer to the formal challenge made by China about overtaking the US in this sector. “IEA’s data on China’s energy use is unreliable,” said a Chinese official, adding that the agency “still lacked understanding about China’s relentless efforts to cut energy use and emissions, notably the country’s aggressive expansion of new energy development.” The Chinese official mentioned that the country’s own evaluations of energy consumption are under those provided by the Paris think-tank, on one hand, while on the other, China is making relentless efforts to curb polluting emissions.

It is worth mentioning that the US keeps its first place in terms of energy consumption per capita. Given the demographic potential difference between the two countries, China is still far behind America with this regard.

The aforementioned dispute is just the first step of what will be the comprehensive file of China’s accession to the peak of the global hierarchy. At the moment, Beijing neither wants, nor is ready to take the huge responsibilities implied by such a place in the hierarchy, in terms of managing global affairs - from material and political costs to the imperatives of accommodating its own positions with those implied by the new stage of economic development (in matters like global heating, for instance). On the other hand, Beijing is accused that this “energy hunger” caused an increase of global prices for hydrocarbons and generated a massive flow of Chinese interests wherever such resources are available in the world, with economic and political consequences. The emphasis laid by China on the peaceful economic development tries to answer precisely this vector aimed at amplifying its international presence, which raised the concern of other states at the top of global hierarchy. It is also aimed at securing its continuing economic growth, at the present rate. The gap that separates China from other countries, in terms of energy consumption per capita shows that the country still has many years ahead before closing it.

China’s economic performance announced last week, beyond any speculation, proves that the country is making decisive steps towards the status of first economic power of the world. Or, in the words of G. Rachman: “the emergence of China as a genuine superpower is not a story set in the future.”