The 19th century belonged to the British Empire, on which the sun never set. The 20th century, of course, was the American Century. Many have posited that the 21st century is poised to be the Chinese Century. Whether the country ever achieves the cultural, political, and military dominance to bring that idea to fruition remains to be seen, but at least in business, the Chinese are on their way. The number of Chinese companies on the Fortune 500 list has eclipsed American companies for the first time in the list’s existence. It’s impossible to predict the future, but Chinese influence is undoubtedly increasing as the 21st century has gone on.