Decisions on comprehensively deepening reform in China that were approved at the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee have stunned the world because of their significance to global geopolitics.

Intense competition between great powers drives today's world where the rise and fall of nations is intrinsically linked to their ability to reform. If China is able to implement all reform measures as envisaged by the country's top leadership, it's likely to reach US in terms of comprehensive strength in a decade.

What is bound to emerge from such a future is a transformed global order. Reform, as an idea, is welcomed by most countries in the world, yet very few have the capability to take bold steps. More importantly, there are even fewer nations that are able to implement reform in a planned systematic manner ensuring its benefits to the larger population.

The failure of the erstwhile Soviet Union shone a light on such difficulties. Although it is now clear that most Western nations no longer have a strong appetite for reform, the US still has the maximum potential. Therefore, it is inevitable that reform will likely be the centerpiece of contest between China and the US in the 21st Century.

However, it is also obvious that China has more incentives to undertake reform. In the past three decades, reform has fundamentally altered China's landscape for the better, and it is not Chinese leaders alone who believe in its prowess but even those at the grass-roots say they want to keep moving on this path. Reform in China has become a byword for both economic development and social progress.

In the meantime, the US has exhibited no urgency for reform with President Barack Obama's "change" slogan not turning into a national mission. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the US has not met a worthy rival which explains its lethargic strategic aggression. 

Although the US has a weaker government than China, its capability to innovate remains stronger. The US also has a mature market and a whole legal system, which makes many people believe that China and the US are on an equal footing due to their governmental and social capacities.

China must be serious in setting up a fairer market and social system and the US must also realize its economic and social problems because both counties have imperfections in their systems. China's reform depends on leaders at various levels so the power of the lever is clearly understood. On the other hand, the US relies much more on society and the market so the role of its leadership is only supplementary, which makes its reform look full of uncertainty.

We are optimistic about China's reform competence, and looking at the current global scenario, it is perhaps best suited for the role. China was a late-starter in the reform race but its top leadership has laid out the road map to achieve strategic momentum.