What Does the Future Hold for Mexico and China?

Intelligence Expert: China Faces Chaos in Coming Decades While Mexico Will Be World Power is the intriguing title of this linked article. George Friedman is an author and founder of Stratfor, a company which gathers and anlayzes intelligence. Friedman believes that later in this century Mexico will become a leading power in the world. The article indicates that Mexico currently has the 13th largest economy in the world.

Social instability is predicted to be a problem for China. China is still largely a third world country heavily dependent on exports to the United States. Problems with the American economy can severly impact China. Friedman's views about the future of China and India contrast with other prognosticators who have a much rosier view of the prospects of those two nations.

Naval Rivalries in the Indian Ocean

Yahoo carried a story, authored by Gavin Rabinowitz, titled India, China ships compete in Indian Ocean on June 8, 2008, describing a rivalry between Asian giants China and India for influence over vital shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean. The life blood of modern economies- oil- is shipped through these lanes and most of the needs of both China and India as well as another Asian giant- Japan- comes aboard tankers traveling from Middle Eastern sources through the Indian Ocean.

No longer is the U.S Navy the sole power in these waters. There is much riding on secure passage of ships for the fast growing economies of Asia. Sri Lanka is strategically located in the region and important to naval developments for that reason. It stands to gain economic windfalls as a result of the attentions of their larger neighbors.

The United States has become a supplier to India. Indian participation in naval exercises with U.S., Japan, Singapore and Australia last year was of concern to China. The world is changing militarily as it changes economically.