scottie on 03 June 2010
I would define Superpower not in terms of GDP or any easily compared factor like that, but by their influence on other countries. American corporations act in a selfish and shortsighted way and the economies of many European countries collapse - that is what it means to be a superpower.
If China wanted to, they could destroy the American economy, which would then destroy the global economy, thus China is a superpower, they just aren't (currently) abusing this superpowerfulness.
Europe, whilst having a whopping GDP has very little economic impact on the rest of the world and is thus not a superpower
