Two decades of reform, a more pragmatic Communist government, and the raw industry of the Chinese people have produced an economy that is growing faster than any other in modern history. China has become a juggernaut--it is the world's second-largest purchaser of oil and will soon buy more cars, computers, and appliances than any other place on Earth. Perhaps more important: In its people and its policies, China today is infused with a profound sense of destiny, a steely determination to regain primacy in world affairs. The rest of the world is just beginning to digest what that might mean.
