Quote Originally Posted by Sarmatian View Post
Aging population is also a problem of the west, partially offset by constant immigration. We're not very far from the moment when retirement age is gonna be 70 in practically all western countries.

Pushing such reforms is gonna be even easier for China as it is not democratic. As its economy improves more, it will become more interesting to immigrants. Also, income per capita increased and is gonna keep increasing in China, making its internal market capable of consuming more goods. Technological gap is lessening, just think where China was 40 years ago compared to the West technologically and where it is now. China will bridge the technological gap in a few decades and I expect it will be the world's technological leader in the second part of the century. There's simply nothing to stop them. Wishful thinking how they "have internal problems", "aging population", "technological inferiority" etc... will be thrown out of the window...
I agree in all those points, but it should be noted also that there are destabilizing effects there. As China´s populations average income increases and their quality of life becomes better. It is inevitable that the population will start demanding more individual rights and democrazy, thus China cant shut herself from the rest of the world when it comes to influences, while at the same time they are opening themselves up for the global market, which gives them prosperity.