China must choose between kowtowing to domestic nationalism and submitting to a peaceful rise. Lately, nationalist belligerence has ruled the day. Washington is overreacting, encircling China. A latent rivalry ratchets up to dangerous levels.
At its core, ideology fuels the epic struggle between Washington and Beijing. Deeply insecure about its own legitimacy, the Communist Party seeks the subordination of its regional neighbors to appease the nationalist wing of its body politic.
China’s rise will inevitably increase Sino-American competition, but delineating common areas of agreement between Beijing and Washington could arrest tensions.
Rajan Menon evaluates the latest works on the future of East Asia and its impact on the world. Is Pax Americana in decline, and are we on the verge of a Pax Sinica?
Marxists are not alone in stressing that the wellsprings of a state's foreign policy almost always come from its domestic social, economic, and political systems, a perspective that has been reinforced by the recent arguments.
