China and the wave of the future

China has been in my mind more and more recently. The recent military maneuvers with Russia and the discussion of an "Eastern NATO" (Allies and Axis?) raised my antennae. The recent launching of Chinese astronauts into orbit as an expression of national pride and Chinese capability to reach space without hanging onto anyone else's bootstraps is quite an achievement; its meaning not so clear. China is the nation we will be facing on the world stage increasingly in the next ten years and beyond. My impression is that most Americans are not thinking more about China than the fact that the "made in China" mark appears on more and more of the things they wear, use, and enjoy. This deserves more and deeper thought.