> The big difference I see with China is that they have a massive booming economy. Unlike the USSR which failed to stay productive, they might be able to pull it off.
Yes, this issue is the biggest one in the world right now (besides political stability and commitment to democracy in the US). Military power flows from economic power more than from anything else. In maybe 10 years, for the first time since WWII the US may have the second biggest economy and be falling further behind. The US + Europe would still far exceed China, but of course international cooperation is unfashionable for some reason.