when China awakens... the world will tremble

Almost 200 years ago, in 1816, Napoleon Bonaparte stated that China was not doomed to decay. "When China wakes up, the world will tremble," he said. Many years later, in 1973, French writer Alain Peyrefitte used Napoleon's phrase as the title for a famous book, in which he prophesied that the Chinese, being so numerous, would inevitably end up dominating the world.
The author, Alain Peyrefitte, born on August 26, 1925, in Paris, died on November 27, 1999, of cancer. A thinker, politician, diplomat, essayist, and writer, he held several public offices, including Minister of Justice, Minister of Education, and Minister of Culture of France. He authored numerous books, notably "The Society of Trust," originally published in 1995. He was awarded the French Legion of Honor, Commander of the Order of Academic Palms, Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters, and the Grand Cross of orders from various nations.