The China Challenge: Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power, by Thomas J. Christensen
This The China Challenge: Shaping The Choices Of A Rising Power, By Thomas J. Christensen is very proper for you as newbie viewers. The viewers will certainly always begin their reading behavior with the favourite theme. They may rule out the writer and also author that produce guide. This is why, this book The China Challenge: Shaping The Choices Of A Rising Power, By Thomas J. Christensen is truly right to read. Nonetheless, the concept that is given in this book The China Challenge: Shaping The Choices Of A Rising Power, By Thomas J. Christensen will show you several points. You could begin to love likewise checking out until completion of guide The China Challenge: Shaping The Choices Of A Rising Power, By Thomas J. Christensen.
The China Challenge: Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power, by Thomas J. Christensen
Download Ebook PDF Online The China Challenge: Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power, by Thomas J. Christensen
This compelling assessment of U.S.-China relations is essential reading for anyone interested in the future of the globalized world.
Many see China as a rival superpower to the United States and imagine the country’s rise to be a threat to U.S. leadership in Asia and beyond. Thomas J. Christensen argues against this zero-sum vision. Instead, he describes a new paradigm in which the real challenge lies in dissuading China from regional aggression while encouraging the country to contribute to the global order. Drawing on decades of scholarship and experience as a senior diplomat, Christensen offers a compelling new assessment of U.S.-China relations that is essential reading for anyone interested in the future of the globalized world.
The China Challenge shows why China is nowhere near powerful enough to be considered a global “peer competitor” of the United States, but it is already strong enough to destabilize East Asia and to influence economic and political affairs worldwide. Despite China’s impressive achievements, the Chinese Communist Party faces enormous challenges. Christensen shows how nationalism and the threat of domestic instability influence the party’s decisions on issues like maritime sovereignty disputes, global financial management, control of the Internet, climate change, and policies toward Taiwan and Hong Kong.
China benefits enormously from the current global order and has no intention of overthrowing it; but that is not enough. China’s active cooperation is essential to global governance. Never before has a developing country like China been asked to contribute so much to ensure international stability. If China obstructs international efforts to confront nuclear proliferation, civil conflicts, financial instability, and climate change, those efforts will falter, but even if China merely declines to support such efforts, the problems will grow vastly more complicated.
Analyzing U.S.-China policy since the end of the Cold War, Christensen articulates a balanced strategic approach that explains why we should aim not to block China’s rise but rather to help shape its choices so as to deter regional aggression and encourage China’s active participation in international initiatives that benefit both nations.
23 maps and charts
The China Challenge: Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power, by Thomas J. Christensen - Amazon Sales Rank: #112187 in Books
- Brand: W. W. Norton & Company
- Published on: 2015-06-08
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.60" h x 1.30" w x 6.60" l, .0 pounds
- Binding: Hardcover
- 400 pages
The China Challenge: Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power, by Thomas J. Christensen Review “Christensen…[offers] a model of judicious analysis: Carefully deconstructing the economic, military and diplomatic balances between the United States and China, he reveals the magnitude of the latter’s challenge without inflating it.” (Ali Wyne - Washington Post)“Many books are written about China these days. This is a standout. Christensen is a widely respected scholar who served as the Bush administration’s expert on China. He has combined these perspectives to give us a balanced, informative, and highly intelligent guide to dealing with China.” (Fareed Zakaria, author of The Post-American World)“Can a rising power and an established power cooperate toward mutually beneficial aims? The China Challenge presents a thoughtful analysis of this question through the lens of recent developments in U.S.-China relations.” (Henry A. Kissinger)“Tom Christensen has done us a great service: he has decoded the U.S.-China relationship with the analytical power of a great scholar and the real-world lessons of a policymaker. The China Challenge is lucid, learned, and relentlessly sensible, navigating the great predicament of the 21st century. Christensen is fluent in history but never captive to it. He aims not to prevent China''s rise but to shape it with a mix of strength and moderation. Above all, he shows us how to avoid a conflict that he considers possible but, in no way, inevitable. He made a believer out of me.” (Evan Osnos, National Book Award-winning author of Age of Ambition)“There is no one I would rather read on China than Tom Christensen. He has the rare ability to transcend the conventional either/or debates about China and to see the country simultaneously as a power with the potential to disrupt global politics in many negative ways and as a country that the United States must engage as a partner in solving global problems. He also has a deep and much needed understanding of how Chinese domestic politics shape Chinese foreign policy. If you read only one book on China, make it The China Challenge.” (Anne-Marie Slaughter, president, New America Foundation)“Christensen addresses a vital challenge―US policy toward China―with an artful blend of scholarship, modern history, and diplomatic experience. He explains skillfully why the United States needs an adroit combination of national strength, international partnerships, and cooperation with China. Christensen''s aim: a search for mutual interests, both between the two countries and in support of regional and global systems.” (Robert B. Zoellick, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State)“The rise of China is one of the prime challenges for American foreign policy. Thomas Christensen uses his first rate credentials both as a scholar and a practitioner to give a clear and compelling answer to this challenge.” (Joseph S. Nye, Jr., Harvard University, and former Assistant Secretary of Defense)“Tom Christensen has written a book that displays the ideal mix of ''richness, rigor, and relevance.'' Countering naïve neo-conservative and liberal interventionists who seem to think that threats to an adversary''s vital interests are all you need to induce compliance, and naïve rationalist liberals who believe economic and institutional engagement will largely contain revisionist preferences, Christensen shows from a careful empirical analysis of Chinese foreign policy how stable coexistence in US-China relations rests on a delicate balance of both deterrence and reassurance. Hopefully future US decision makers will read this book and absorb its message.” (Alastair Iain Johnston, Laine Professor of China in World Affairs, Harvard University)“Christensen is one of the world’s leading China experts, an experienced senior policymaker, and a top-notch international relations theorist. The China Challenge is outstanding, a must-read for anybody interested in China, American foreign policy, or global affairs more generally.” (Gideon Rose, editor, Foreign Affairs)“Everything you need to know about the sometimes bewildering, always tricky issues generated by the rise of China is here in Tom Christensen''s lucid book. China is something new in the world, a rising authoritarian state that is an economic colossus and very nearly a first-rate military power, which is what makes it the most important strategic challenge we''re going to face for the foreseeable future. Christensen doesn''t promise that dealing with China will be easy. It won''t be. But he is utterly clear-headed, realistic, persuasive, and, perhaps most important, cautiously optimistic, as he resets the terms of the continuing debate.” (Richard Bernstein, author of China 1945)“Dr. Christensen gives us a detailed history and critique of recent Sino-US relations, thoughtful evaluations of the views of other scholars and an insider''s view of dealing with China on important issues. His balanced judgments on the difficulties and possibilities of Sino-US relations in the future are sobering but eventually hopeful. Anyone seriously interested in one of the most consequential bilateral relationships that will shape the world''s future needs to read this book.” (Dennis Blair, Former Commander in Chief, US Pacific Command and Director of National Intelligence)
About the Author Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Thomas J. Christensen is the William P. Boswell Professor of World Politics and director of the China and the World Program at Princeton University. He lives in Princeton, New Jersey.
Where to Download The China Challenge: Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power, by Thomas J. Christensen
Most helpful customer reviews
19 of 22 people found the following review helpful. A must-read for those who want to understand US-China relations By Yan Chang You need to read this book to gain the insider perspective that other authors cannot provide. Christensen has written a thoughtful and enlightening book on China and its future prospects based on his decades of experience and research in and about China. As a scholar of China and international relations, he offers a unique perspective that have aided, and continue to aid policymakers and politicians in guiding the evolution of US-China relations. Chapter 5 on global governance is particularly helpful in understanding the challenge that China poses to global governance and the international community.A second point that must be made: the knowledge he possesses about China cannot be overemphasized. He has studied its political structure and leadership for decades. He has spent, cumulatively, years in China researching and interviewing politicians and IR experts. He speaks and writes Chinese fluently. Combined with his training in international relations theory, he is one of a few scholars that can qualitatively examine US-China relations and assist in its development.What Christensen can offer is an invaluable insider perspective due to three things: decades of exhaustive research, which includes one-on-one interviews with Chinese government officials and scholars; his language ability, which allows him to conduct personal interviews without the intrusion of an interpreter; and his years as a US government official and now an adviser to the State Department.In examining US-China relations, there is a lot of interpretation of bare facts without context. Yes, China's military is growing. But it's not aimed at the US because they know, better than we do, the costs of competing militarily with the United States. Yes, China's economy is booming and they own a whopping lot of US debt. But they know, better than we do, that China's economy is utterly dependent on the US economy and if we crash, they crash. But I digress. What the China Challenge presents is interpretation of facts with context. I urge you to read this book.
12 of 15 people found the following review helpful. How to Overcome the Too Often Prevailing Zero-Sum Mentality in Engaging a Rising China By Serge J. Van Steenkiste Thomas Christensen explores how the United States should manage China’s rise in the areas of security and international governance since the end of the Cold War. Mr. Christensen suggests that the United States strike the best possible balance between two seemingly contradictory attitudes towards the return of China to greatness. The United States needs a strong military and economic presence in East Asia while adopting a consistent diplomatic posture that invites China to participate in regional and global governance.Without this strong and consistent demeanor in East Asia, China could be more tempted to settle its (territorial) differences with its East Asian neighbors through coercion, or to encourage its allies to act similarly. The use of coercion by China to settle these differences would lead to the outcome that Chinese strategists fear the most: the encirclement of China by an alliance of its East Asian neighbors led by a hostile United States bent on restoring at a minimum the status quo ante. The author correctly labels American rhetorical flourish like the “Asia pivot” as unhelpful and misleading, feeding the paranoia of some Chinese nationalists that the United States has only one paramount objective: keep China down. This zero-sum game mentality will further encourage China to under-invest in regional and global governance and to free ride on the coattails of the United States, the founder and driver of a mostly benevolent and beneficial international world order since 1945.To encourage China to contribute its fair share to regional and global governance is more difficult to solve than the above-mentioned security challenge for three reasons. First, China can block completely or erect significant obstacles to regional and global governance if it either opposes or refuses to contribute actively to these cross-border governance challenges. Secondly, China cannot be treated like any other developing country due to its sheer size. Finally, if China is perceived to operate as a free-rider, other great powers will probably not be strongly encouraged to contribute their own fair share to the constructive resolution or management of regional and global governance issues. Mr. Christensen correctly points out that the United States is inexperienced and much less well-structured in inducing a developing country to contribute assertively to solving or managing transnational challenges than in using the coercive diplomacy of great powers. To ignore Chinese core interests completely in countries such as Iran, North Korea, and Sudan will only encourage China to be unhelpful in properly solving or managing cross-border governance issues.To start solving this quandary, Mr. Christensen recommends for example that the United States capitalize on China’s growing global economic footprint. The active participation of China in the multinational fight against Somalian pirates in the Gulf of Aden clearly demonstrates that the Chinese leadership can be successfully socialized into understanding the cost of instability in any part of the world and into supporting the international community’s efforts to stabilize such areas. Similarly, the United States can continue to offer its expertise to China in solving the challenges associated with the further deterioration of its environment that has spillover effects outside its borders.In summary, the author invites the United States to display both strength and toughness while reassuring and listening to the Chinese.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Excellent Guide to Understanding and Managing U.S.-China Relations By Andrew S. Erickson When it comes to the vital issue of U.S.-China relations, rigorous, readable scholarship is in regrettably short supply. Even amid the current profusion of books on the subject, “The China Challenge: Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power” by Princeton University professor Thomas Christensen represents a uniquely powerful contribution. Given the difficulties inherent in its weighty subject, the volume should long command an important place in your bookshelf or on your desk. Most importantly, it offers Christensen’s unique perspective as a leading scholar on the topic who has also served as a high-level diplomat (Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs with responsibility for China, Taiwan, and Mongolia).Christensen writes clearly and memorably. He deploys wide-ranging but carefully distilled data and citations to support his points. He shares vivid personal recollections (my own favorite: literally dropping his coffee upon reading news that China voted for UN Security Council Resolution 1970, referring Qadaffi’s government to the International Criminal Court). He reflects deeply, and draws connections that are both gripping and relevant. Sharp, precise graphics illustrate key concepts.The result: a remarkably accessible yet sophisticated book--the thinking person’s guide to understanding and managing Sino-American relations.In sum, “The China Challenge” offers:• A compelling case that today’s international system allows the United States and China to coexist peacefully and further common interests and responsibilities, even as they continue to compete in specific areas.• Reason for nuanced concern: China remains far from surpassing the United States, but is “posing problems [even] without catching up.”• A positive vision for bringing a rising China further into the twenty-first century international system, and for shaping its policy choices in a mutually-favorable direction.• Detailed insights into what approaches have been more, and less, effective in influencing Beijing’s behavior productively.• Specific recommendations for subsequent U.S. policymakers, including the next president, to address these important issues.Managing Sino-American relations effectively in coming years will be of paramount importance, yet tremendously difficult and demanding in practice. One of the most challenging aspects, from a U.S. perspective, will be working to shape a rising China’s behavior in a positive direction that is compatible with the current international system.Fortunately, amid these undeniable challenges, one decision is easy: if you have not done so already, you must read “The China Challenge.” Christensen’s unique insights as a scholar-practitioner concerning this century’s most important bilateral relationship will remain instructive for years to come.You can read my full-length review of “The China Challenge: Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power” at http://nationalinterest.org/feature/managing-us-china-relations-challenging-picking-good-14412
See all 24 customer reviews...
The China Challenge: Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power, by Thomas J. Christensen
The China Challenge: Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power, by Thomas J. Christensen PDF
The China Challenge: Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power, by Thomas J. Christensen iBooks
The China Challenge: Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power, by Thomas J. Christensen ePub
The China Challenge: Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power, by Thomas J. Christensen rtf
The China Challenge: Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power, by Thomas J. Christensen AZW
The China Challenge: Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power, by Thomas J. Christensen Kindle
The China Challenge: Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power, by Thomas J. Christensen
The China Challenge: Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power, by Thomas J. Christensen
The China Challenge: Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power, by Thomas J. Christensen
The China Challenge: Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power, by Thomas J. Christensen
