Eurasian politics have replaced European politics as the central
arena of world affairs. Once European wars became evidently
threatening to America, there was no choice for America but to inject
itself into European politics in order to prevent new conflicts from
erupting or a hostile European hegemony from emerging. Thus America's
engagement in world affairs was precipitated during the twentieth
century by European politics. Today, it is the interplay of several
Eurasian powers that is critical to global stability. Accordingly,
America's policy must be transcontinental in its design, with
specific bilateral Eurasian relationships woven together into a
strategically coherent whole.
It is in this larger Eurasian context that U.S.-China relations must
be managed and their importance correctly assessed. Dealing with
China should rank as one of Washington's four most important
international relationships, alongside Europe, Japan and Russia. The
U.S.-China relationship is both consequential and catalytic, beyond
its intrinsic bilateral importance. Unlike some other major bilateral
relationships that are either particularly beneficial or threatening
only to the parties directly involved (America and Mexico, for
example), the U.S.-China relationship impacts significantly on the
security and policies of other states, and it can affect the overall
balance of power in Eurasia.
