China: Workshop of the world?

Because China's transformation process is complex and remains open-ended, there are many partial answers provided to the many questions asked by foreign observers and Chinese people alike about where China is heading. The argument here is that it is wrong to assert China's coming collapse, just as it is not correct to assert that the dynamics so visibly at work in China will lead to China becoming the world's workshop. It is closer to the truth to maintain that the dynamics at work in China can lead in any direction, and that the necessary, let alone the sufficient conditions for them leading to a desirable outcome are daunting, but not impossible to achieve. This article suggests both necessary and sufficient conditions for China to emerge as the world's workshop, and then looks forward to assess whether we may expect regime change or political development.