Questions and Answers
What is the author's main argument regarding American hegemony?
That it is drawing to a close due to the rise of China.
According to Paul Kennedy, what have relative economic shifts often heralded?
The rise of new great powers that have a decisive impact on the military/territorial order.
What is the relationship between economic strength and geopolitical weight, according to the leadership in Beijing?
Economic strength leads to increased geopolitical weight.
What is the key issue of grand strategy facing the United States in the coming decades?
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What is the historical pattern associated with the emergence of new poles of power in the international system?
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What is the author's skepticism regarding China's rise?
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Why is China's economic growth significant in the context of international relations?
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What is China pursuing in order to strengthen itself?
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How does the author characterize China's impact on the world?
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What theory suggests that a democratic China would be pacific and collaborative in its external policies?
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What is the historical record's verdict on the relationship between economic interdependence and peace?
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What is the ultimate goal of the engagement strategy towards China?
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How have democratic states behaved when their vital national interests are at risk?
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What is the problem with the engagement strategy towards China?
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What is Beijing pursuing in order to strengthen its position in the international economy?
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How do great powers behave when their vital national interests are at risk, regardless of their political system?
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What is the assumption behind the US strategy of engagement with China?
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What is China's current policy driven by?
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What is the optimal realpolitik strategy for China according to the text?
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What is the context in which the debate about the United States extending permanent normal trade relations with China took place?
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What is the underlying assumption of the democratic peace theory in relation to China's rise?
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What is the implication of China's economic rise on international institutions and the global balance of power?
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What is the containment strategy in the context of China's rise?
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What is the significance of economic interdependence in the context of China's rise?
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Study Notes
The Rise of China and the Decline of American Hegemony
- The era of American hegemony is coming to an end as China's economic power grows.
- The rise of China is a significant issue in grand strategy for the United States.
Economic Power and Geopolitical Weight
- Economic strength is linked to geopolitical weight, as demonstrated by Paul Kennedy in "The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers".
- China understands this connection and aims to sustain near-double-digit growth rates to surpass the US as the world's largest economy.
Historical Precedents
- The emergence of new poles of power in the international system has historically been geopolitically destabilizing.
- Examples include the rise of Germany, the United States, and Japan at the end of the 19th century, which contributed to international political frictions that led to two world wars.
China's Rise and Sino-American Relations
- China's economic growth is causing the country to surpass the US in relative power, which will have a significant impact on the military/territorial order.
- China's current policy is to maintain peace in East Asia, as this allows the country to grow richer and catch up to the US in relative power.
Engagement Strategy
- The strategy of engagement claims that as China becomes increasingly tied to the international economy, interdependence will constrain China from taking political actions that could disrupt its access to foreign markets and high-technology imports.
- However, this claim is problematic and lacks historical support, as economic interdependence has not always led to peace.
Debunking Democratic Peace Theory
- The view that a democratic China would be pacific and collaborative is dubious and based on flimsy evidence.
- The historical record shows that democratic states have practiced big-stick diplomacy against other democracies when vital national interests are at risk.
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Description
This quiz explores the concept of economic powers rising and falling, with a focus on the decline of American hegemony and the rise of China. It delves into the idea that states' economic powers grow at different rates, leading to shifts in global economic influence.