When asked whether he believes that China will become a world leader, Chomsky said, "It already is."
Chomsky explained that the programs based on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) extend throughout Eurasia and considerably beyond.
“In the past few months, Saudi Arabia joined the SCO, followed by the second regional heavyweight, the United Arab Emirates, which had already become a hub of China's Maritime Silk Road, reaching from Kolkata in Eastern India to the Red Sea and on to Europe," he said.
Chomsky pointed out that China is now entering the Middle East arms market.
“All of this signals a significant erosion of the Middle East system that the United States has pretty much been running for 80 years, taking over from Britain," Chomsky added.
Renowned US investor Jim Rogers told Sputnik earlier in May that China will become the next great country and most important nation of this century.
Last October, Chinese President Xi Jinping said the country’s leadership considers it necessary to accelerate the process of turning China into a leading world industrial power, including in the development of manufacturing industry, astronautics, transport and network technologies.