Most of geopolitics experts seems to agree that there will be 3rd world war soon.
This is connected with the fact that American hegemony over the world is going to end and that new power - China - wants to change current world order. There are more participants interested in it for example also Germany, Russia and France but the main threat from current hegemon comes from China.
The experts say that never in the history the world order has changed without a major military conflict. If USA will not react, this order will change in next 20 years and it will be China which will become new hegemon and only the war can stop Chinese from becoming dominant nation in the world. So there is possibility that USA will attack China to stop it. This is kinda a good news for us Europeans, especialy eastern Europeans, because it means that for the first time the major conflict will not take place on our territories but somwhere far. It also confirms the theory that Europe is not as important as it was during last 500 years.
According to geopolitics theories the world is divided on 3 parts: Heartland, Rimmland and periphery.
The main see power of Rimland always control the world trade (90% of world trade is a sea trade) In the past these powers were Spain and Portugal, Holland, Great Britain and now USA. The main landpower of Heartland is not subjected to power of the hegemon of Rimland.
Right now USA controls the seas and dictate the rules of world wide trade, it also gets most profits from this trade.
China wants to break US hegemony and got several projects which will help to break this hegemony, especialy so called NEW SILK ROAD. Last months the president of China visited all major eastern european countries and negotiated the terms of cooperation in building this project.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/11/europe-china-new-silk-road/
"A new type of power relations
Based on a mixture of Marxist and Confucian traditions, the Chinese leadership has started to articulate more explicit policies towards regional and global governance, through concepts such as the Harmonious Society by former President Hu Jintao, and President Xi Jinping’s “new type of major power relations”. These concepts, mostly ignored by Western governments, are not just slogans. They have led to a number of visible changes in its foreign engagement: the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the BRICS, G13 and economic forums such as the Boao Forum.
This strategic shift is potentially a game-changer for global governance. Its explicit focus on the wide definition of inclusiveness, the right to development, and based on a relatively fuzzy management style, will inevitably challenge the current Western principles of global governance.
The surprisingly highly successful launch of AIIB may just be a teaser from China on the existing institutions. But it should be taken as a wake-up call. The ball is now in the hands of the EU to decide if and how to engage in these emerging processes. Although Europe continues to struggle with its own crisis, It should make the Silk Road its own and its strategic priority.
For the EU, there are major interests at stake: regional stability, economic development and diversification of energy supply.
This region – with India, Pakistan, Iran and Kazakhstan in the middle – could offer major new markets to European firms, leveraging old European influence to both engage profitably with Chinese and local companies. Europe could also use it as a door-opener in the increasingly difficult but critical Chinese market itself, as China will need allies when engaging overseas."