This power shift – perhaps the most consequential of the twenty-first century – implies serious risks. Historians often warn that the fear and uncertainty generated by the emergence of new powers like China can trigger serious conflict, like that which Europe experienced a century ago, when Germany overtook the United Kingdom in industrial production.
这一实力变迁——也许是二十一世纪最重要的事件——隐含着严重的风险。历史学家经常警告，中国等新强国的出现所造成的恐慌和不确定性可能引发严重冲突，就像一个世纪前德国在工业生产上赶超英国时欧洲所经历的那样。