Comment on "Will China excel US in 2016?" (China Daily, May 11)

It is inevitable that China's economy will overtake the United States'. To begin with, China's population is four times that of the US. If it doesn't overtake the US at some point in terms of GDP, then there has to be something wrong somewhere with its development mode.

But just having a larger economy than the US' will not raise its hard and soft power. True, by having a larger economy China could devote more resources to boost its hard and soft power. But by simply being the world's largest economy, China wouldn't automatically become the dominant cultural and economic influence of our times.

Look at South Korea. Its economy is much smaller than China's. Yet its culture is more attractive than China's or the US' in Asia; the "Korean Wave" is proof of that.

And I think most non-Chinese would be able to rattle off South Korean car brands more easily than the Chinese brands. China still has a long road to travel before it becomes the biggest economic and cultural power.

Richard, on China Daily website

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(China Daily 05/18/2011 page9)