China: An emerging super power?

I keep hearing that China is going to become so very powerful and soon.

I honestly don't think China will be a super power soon, they have too many internal problems (rift between rich and poor, corruption, enviornment, various social issues, etc...)

Is it just people talking about things they don't really know anything about or is there some truth to this?  Thoughts?

China is not even close to being as cohesive as the US (ot that the US is amazingly cohesive) China is an honest to god empire, a the Han rule over dozens of *highly* resentful countrys and ethnic groups who spend a great deal of there time rioting. The Tibetens and the Muslims in the west for just two recent welll know examples.