At the turn of the millennium, the global balance of power has undergone a seismic shift without much notice. While the West has grappled with internal and geopolitical challenges, China has steadily, and quietly, ascended to become a dominant force in global economics, technology and diplomacy. The preparation for the achievements started decades ago with its economic reforms in the early 1980s, when China endeavoured to get its people out of poverty and into better life quality. In 40 years, China had lifted 800 million people out of poverty—the level of income of less than USD1.9 per day according to the World Bank’s definition.