National power is defined as the ability of a nation to attain its strategic objectives by directed action. National power is no longer restricted to the military but also includes a multiplicity of factors such as strength of the economy, human resources, availability of national resources, knowledge and science and technology.
Thus, the concept of Comprehensive National Power (CNP) which includes all these factors has assumed significance. In China, the concept of CNP gained greater acceptance after propagation by Deng Xiaoping, the doyen of modern reforms in the country. He said: “In measuring a country’s national power, one must look at it comprehensively and from all sides.”
