China’s population is shrinking for the first time in more than half a century with far reaching Worldwide implications. (The Washington Post)

In the 1980’s America became alarmed at the rapid rise of Japanese economic power and its implications for American workers. Growing up in the Midwest it was unpopular to drive a Japanese produced vehicle even though they gained massive popularity in other parts of the nation. The media portrayed Japan as the economic boogeyman ready and willing to usurp American economic dominance. Then the Japanese economy stagnated and China, with a population many times that of Japan or America began a meteoric rise on the World stage. China’s superpower status and seat at the power table is going to be called into question because their population is no longer growing but will be shrinking rapidly in the next several decades.