I read a good article regarding China’s step up as a global player in the Honolulu Advertiser today.  It is an associated press article, but was a good read.

China’s reach now extends from the Australian desert through the Sahara to the Amazonian jungle - and it’s those regions supplying goods for China, not just the other way around. China has stepped up its political and diplomatic presence, most notably in Africa, where it is funneling billions of dollars in aid. And it is increasingly shaping the lifestyle of people around the world, as the United States did before it, right down to the Mandarin-language courses being taught in schools from Argentina to Virginia.