More than 200 years after his death, Napoleon Bonaparte's description of China as a «sleeping giant» that should be left to sleep, «because when it wakes, it will move the world», is being revisited as a prophecy that appears to have come true. The French emperor, who ruled from 1804 to 1814, is said to have made the remark during his exile on Saint Helena in 1816, and it has become one of the most quoted observations ever attributed to him.
At the time, China was not the industrial and technological power it is today. It had fallen behind Europe's industrial revolutions, yet it was already a major economic force and home to the world's most populous empire, with more than 300 million inhabitants. Napoleon, a military strategist known for his prodigious mind, seemed to sense the potential that lay dormant in the country behind the Great Wall.
Today, that giant is more awake than ever. China is one of the world's leading powers and, in many respects, has not only matched but surpassed the old continent. Under President Xi Jinping, the country has forged its own path at breakneck speed and has put Western markets on the back foot throughout this century.
In Spain, the effects are visible in shops, restaurants and, above all, the automotive sector. What 15 years ago amounted to a handful of establishments in certain parts of major cities has become at least one Chinese-owned business in virtually every municipality. The most significant blow, however, has come from the car industry. The arrival of Chinese vehicles in the last five years, both across Europe and in Spain, has left major European brands looking anxiously at the future. Brands such as BYD, MG, Omoda and Jaecoo, among others, have overtaken even premium manufacturers — a clear statement of intent from a country that has long made clear it is here to stay.
Napoleon's own career offers a reminder of how far his strategic thinking reached. He famously deceived the Spanish government of his time in order to invade Portugal, only to end up conquering Spanish territory until insurgents drove him out in 1814 after six years of uprising. Madrid rose in arms against the invader on 2 May 1808, a turning point in the Peninsular War.
The emperor's words about China have taken on new weight as the country's economic and geopolitical influence continues to expand. What was once a warning from a defeated exile now reads as an early recognition of a shift in global power that is still unfolding.