Without Reform and Cooperation with China, the International System Cannot Hold
The trick is to decide where compromise is acceptable for U.S. interests and to draw clear lines around principles where it is not.
The simple fact is that without at least tacit Chinese support, no rule-based international order can survive. It is inevitable that there will have to be reforms to address Beijing’s concerns and to provide it with a continued stake in the international order. The trick is to decide where compromise is acceptable for U.S. interests and to draw clear lines around principles where it is not.
Timothy R. Heath is a senior defense and international research analyst with the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation.
Michael J. Mazarr is a senior political scientist at the RAND and director of the RAND Project on Building a Sustainable International Order.
Image: U.S. President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping attend a state dinner at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, November 9, 2017. REUTERS/Thomas Peter