At the start of the last millennium, the Chinese were the preeminent international traders. Although a truly global trading system would not evolve until some 500 years later, Chinese silk had been available in Europe since Roman times. At the start of the last century, the British military, merchants, and manufacturers dominated the seas and international commerce. Literally, the sun did not set on the British Empire. At the start of this century, the United States had surged past a faltering Japan to retake the lead in global commerce. The American domination of information technology has since been followed by the political upheaval of 9/11 and the economic shocks of 2001 and 2008. China started the 21st century as the largest military threat to the United States, and within a decade it had become a leading, though often difficult, trading partner. Now, as the 2020s are upon us, China’s international influence grows while the United States cedes some global leadership under a nationalistic American president. Most would agree that Russia threatens global peace more than the rest.
