BEIJING — Beijing is increasingly playing hardball on every issue that brings it into contact and potential conflict with the rest of the world: democracy in Hong Kong; U.S. arms sales to Taiwan; the visit of the Dalai Lama to the White House; sanctions against Iran; the value of the renminbi; the sickly dollar; human rights; censorship of the Internet; Google and hacking; greenhouse gas emissions and climate change; the U.S. budget deficit; and a blossoming variety of trade issues.

Its strident comments, brooking no opposition on any issue, are reminiscent of an arrogant adolescent sprouting his first facial hair and muscles, full of hormones and attitude of nervous hostility toward trespassers on his space. But China, though adolescent in its attitudes, is a full-grown country with an ancient history and civilization, growing industrial muscle, the world's biggest exporter and, equally important, a nuclear-armed power with the biggest military in the world and rapidly growing and ambitious global outreach with plans for conquering space.

Larry Summers, Obama's chief economic adviser, raised an important question before he joined the Obama administration: "How long can the world's biggest borrower remain the world's biggest power?"