Podcast: Mr Rowan Callick: China: Taking Over Our World, or Riding for a Fall?

Since the global financial crisis, China's continued economic success has fuelled the self-confidence to push its strategic interests more forcefully.  This display of strength, accompanied by a growth in military spending and the appearance of sophisticated new weaponry, is causing neighbours to reconfirm their support for a strong, continued US presence in Asia.  Australia is among countries in the region to express concern. But the party chieftains in Beijing face many pressures and uncertainties within and beyond their borders.  So, are threats emerging to undermine China's economic progress, and has it over-reached itself already as a superpower? Rowan Callick was China correspondent for the 'Australian Financial Review', based in Hong Kong, from 1996-2000, before becoming Asia-Pacific editor.  He became 'The Australian' China correspondent at the start of 2006.  After three years in Beijing, he took up his present role as Asia-Pacific editor. Mr Callick worked for 11 years in Papua New Guinea, where he became general manager of a locally owned publishing, printing and retail group.  He was a member of Australia's National Advisory Council on Aid Policy from 1994-96, a board member of the Australia Indonesia Institute from 2001-2006, and a member of the Foreign Minister's Foreign Affairs Council from 2003-2006.  His book 'Comrades & Capitalists: Hong Kong Since the Handover' was published by the University of NSW Press in 1998.  He won the Graham Perkin Award for Journalist of the Year for 1995, and two Walkley Awards, for Asia-Pacific coverage, for 1997 and 2007.