Chinese-US Relations: Moving Toward Greater Cooperation or Conflict?
Abstract
A great debate is taking place within the US government between those who believe China will become an adversary and those who believe Chinese-US relations will remain focused on trade and peaceful coexistence. Although the current debate includes a far more complex range of possibilities, this dichotomy highlights the fundamental conundrum facing diplomatic and military decision makers: what is the future of Chinese-US relations? Former secretary of defense Robert Gates expressed the view of many within the Department of Defense when he said in March 2007, I do not see China at this point as a strategic adversary of the United States. It s a partner in some respects. It s a competitor in other respects. And so we are simply watching to see what they re doing. In his statement, Secretary Gates was careful to include the phrase at this point, leaving room for change in the relationship. Numerous individuals within the military strongly hold the view that US and Chinese interests are destined to clash as China continues its rise and, in coming decades, reaches economic and military parity with the United States. This view is similar in many ways to that expressed by John Mearsheimer that conflict rather than competition between great powers is inevitable. This view is juxtaposed with a decidedly less adversarial perspective which predominates within the State Department. Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton expressed this view in 2009: Some believe that China on the rise is, by definition, an adversary. To the contrary, we believe that the United States and China can benefit from and contribute to each other s successes. For those who hold a worldview more similar to neoliberal institutionalism, China s status as friend or foe is largely determined by the United States a distinctly constructivist point.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA589652
Entities
People
- Adam Lowther
- Chad Dacus
- John Geis
- Panayotis Yannakogeorgos
Organizations
- Air University