China, the United States, and Thucydides’s Trap

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Table of Contents

Selected Article
Introduction
Concise Summary
Is the Argument Convincing?
Understanding Great Power Politics
Conclusion
Bibliography

Selected Article

Welch, David. “China, the United States, and “Thucydides’s Trap.” In China’s Challenges and International Order Transition: Beyond Thucydides’s Trap, edited by Huiyun Feng and Kai He, 47-70. Michigan: University of Michigan Press, 2020.

Introduction

The rise of China has become a reality that all global partners should not ignore. The concept of world order cold be studied and understood convincingly by examining the issues and trends recorded in the global society today. This paper gives a succinct summary of David Welch’s chapter, “China, the United States, and “Thucydides’s Trap”. The discussion goes further to describe the convincing elements and discussions in the chapter. It concludes by explaining the emerging ideas and concepts regarding great power politics.

Concise Summary

In the selected chapter, David Welch succeeds in explaining the rise of China and why analysts and promoters of foreign policies should be keen in the manner in which the interpret and apply this theory. From the Chapter, the reader observes that China appears to have designed a powerful model for dominating the global order. For instance, XI Xinping has been relying on the “Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)” with the aim of positioning its public or state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to maximize overseas gains and investments. Such an approach is capable of delivering direct gains to the economy. Consequently, the Chinese government realizes that it has the potential to maximize its ambitions, grow its economy continuously, and eventually become influential at the global arena.

From the military perspective, China has developed one of the largest standing armies, has found new ways to deploy nuclear weapons, and has been on the frontline to modernize its army. It has gone further to develop “a modern blue-water navy”. Should the United States chose to withdraw its current influence in the Asia-Pacific Region, chances are high that it will be in a position to exercise total hegemony in the East. While pursuing such goals, this country will be on the frontline to engage in actions, decisions, and initiatives that have the potential to shape world order in the coming years.

While China continues to lag behind in a number of efforts and fronts, many experts still believe that the country might be catching up with the United States. For instance, it has been keen to invest heavily in different foreign regions, provide donor aid, and influence policy decisions. The economy is also operating a surplus and finding it easier to record positive gains. As part of its international politics and policies, China does not take the position of a friend. Instead, its leadership focuses on the best initiatives to address differences, solve emerging challenges, and promote cooperation. The ongoing economic engagement with several nations has made it possible for this country to maintain its autonomy while retaining its independence.

These aspects explain why many countries continue to identify China as a potential threat. While political maturity has become the norm in the West, most of the countries in the East continue to grapple with passions, tensions, and even suspicious. Such issues have resulted in uncertainty that arises from territorial, economic, maritime, and even historical disputes. The latest efforts by Washington to contain Beijing could be interpreted as an exercise by the United States to stop China from its sudden rise. These issues and developments try to explain the reality between these two nations and guides readers to be keen.

Having presented all these viewpoints, the author concludes by encouraging people and international policymakers to reconsider the Thucydides’ Trap. This concept tries to indicate that the roles of different countries wielding global power could be reversed in such a way that China becomes the rising power in all aspects. At the same time, the United States would be the declining power. Under such a trap, Graham T. Allison tries to explain how these two countries could eventually draw each other to war. Thucydides’s Trap appears to indicate that great powers would tend to engage in wars when rapid rising ones appear to overtake a hegemony that is on the decline.

Is the Argument Convincing?

The selected reading is informative and detailed since it describes the realities experienced in the global arena. China is a nation on the rise due to the nature of foreign policies, influence strategies, and international decisions. From the beginning, the author has offered some powerful arguments to explain the key foundations and institutions that have helped the global community enjoy some peace for more than seven decades. Some of them include the United Nations (UN) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Following the end of the Cold War, a bipolarized global order would give rise to “embedded liberalism”. Consequently, more countries have been able to succeed and achieve their social and economic goals.

From the work, it would be agreeable that the argument is convincing since it describes some form of question that analysts need to examine from an informed perspective. Specifically, the identified trap appears convincing and capable of explaining how China could eventually launch a new war against the United States. The author goes further to identify some of the forces and trends that have reshaped politics and economic agenda in the Chinese setting. The country has been engaging in hegemonic tendencies with the aim of promoting economic performance and pursuing its hegemonic ambitions.

However, the cases of Athens, United States, Sparta, and China could be described from different perspectives and encourage more people to avoid possible war. The author identifies some of the gaps, tensions, and issues that dominate the political ambitions and goals of both China and the United States. The reader is able to appreciate the fact that the government of China is focusing on the best ways to record positive gains. However, the author encourages analysts to avoid applying Thucydides’s Trap because it is just a metaphor that should encourage global leaders avoid any form of war.

The emerging message is that China and the United States should not focus solely on the recorded trends and trajectories. The application of this theory only creates suspicion and compels nations to maximize hostility. Some might decide to rely on the theory to analyze the process of hedging and make erroneous decisions. The work is informative since it guides the reader to appreciate the fact that Thucydides’s Trap is dangerous and capable of influencing negative ambitions and thoughts at the global level. This assertion explains why people should be keen to re-examine the theory and only rely on it as the best tool that cautions people about some of the problems that might emerge when a fast growing economic militarizes and achieves numerous gains while the leading hegemony is on the decline.

Through the power of all foreign policies and past events, it would be agreeable that the work by this author is agreeable and convincing. The insights about China are true and try to expose the challenges that might arise between the two. The message is also clear that analysts should be keen to avoid the selected trap. The leaders of hegemonies should be on the forefront to identify possible threats to global peace and engage in actions that can deliver the specific outcomes Thucydides’s Trap cautions. This consideration is capable of supporting and guiding more countries to pursue their national goals while reducing chances of any possible global conflict.

Understanding Great Power Politics

The selected reading offers powerful insights regarding the politics of great powers in the world today. Since the end of the Second World War, a new world order emerged whereby these two superior nations emerged: the Soviet Union and the United States. The subsequent decades would be characterized by military struggles, divergent economic models, and the space race. A sense of polarized politics and foreign policies emerged. Most of the global partners were keen to side and support either the U.S. or the Soviet Union depending on their goals. The lessons emerging from the collapse or end of the Soviet Union and the subsequent end of the Cold War continue to shape global politics today.

In the recent past, countries have been on the frontline to pursue their unique international policies and goals. Such ambitions have revolved around the power of realism. While protecting their internal interests and goals, countries have maintained their goals and objectives true. They have succeeded in establishing superior military units and arrangements that can help address any foreign attack. Such countries have been partnering with the right colleagues to pursue their goals. This lesson is evident from the selected reading and it describes some of the realities experienced in the world today. The United States and China have been keen to rely on their unique foreign policies without losing focus on the anticipated goals. The possible outcome is that a sense of international control has reduced while empowering countries to focus on a new global order.

Finally, the chapter has reveals that no great power is keen to lose it position in the world affairs. The examples of China and the U.S. present a unique perspective for applying the Thucydides’s Trap. Consequently, the reader is able to make informed decisions and understand how China appears to be the emerging hegemony that is capable of finding itself at crossroads with the United States. The emerging message is that nations should be on the frontline to solve the recorded challenges while at the same time pursuing their common goals. They will also be willing to apply their resources and military strengths to fight or get rid of any country that tries to threaten their political positions. These attributes will, therefore, continue to dominate and reshape global political today and in the coming years.

Conclusion

The above discussion has indicated that content obtained from the selected chapter is convincing and acceptable. The outlined Thucydides’s Trap is a powerful model for examining the rise of China and cautioning the global society to avoid possible threats that might emerge. The information goes further to describe the nature of great power politics and how realism remains a powerful theory for understanding international politics. Future analysts and theorists will continue to find the chapter meaningful and rely on it to reshape global agenda or order.

Bibliography

Ahmed, Jesmine. “The Theoretical Significance of Foreign Policy in International Relations – An Analysis.” Journal of Critical Reviews 7, no. 2 (2020): 787-792.

Schweller, Randall. “Opposite but Compatible Nationalisms: A Neoclassical Realist Approach to the Future of US-China Relations.” The Chinese Journal of International Politics 11, no. 1 (2018): 23-48.

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