Conventional Preemption: A Needed Lens to Address War With China?
Abstract
Before the outbreak of the COVID pandemic a year ago, one of the biggest topics of discussion dominating the US government and major US news outlets was the rise of China on the international stage and its supposed collision course with the United States in what many endorse as Thucydides' Trap. This confrontation has not gone away. As tensions flare with the exchange of political rhetoric between the United States and China about the origins of COVID, near-misses between Chinese and US military vessels in the South China Sea, and the status of Taiwan, curiosity abounds for what the future holds for the two biggest powers of the world. This analysis suggests continued examination of US-Sino tensions utilizing the concept of preemption as a new point of approach. Preemption--the right of self-defense--brings a needed look at US-Sino tensions today. This focus on preemption can help, when addressed in a careful manner, chastise the push for war and offer a better examination of US actions in the Pacific than the too rigid belief in the historical analogy, Thucydides' Trap, where a rising power will inevitably go to war against the established power.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 05, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1178176
Entities
People
- Christopher T. Rogers
Organizations
- Marine Corps University