Big Game: China's "Tai Chi" and America's "Boxing"

Author: Liu Jianfei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-11-01
Features: The two major factors that prompted the United States to adopt its current China policy are unlikely to disappear in the foreseeable future. These two factors are the war on terror and the significant gap in comprehensive national strength between China and the United States. —Zbigniew Brzezinski
China has a high likelihood of becoming a world power. Currently, it is merely a regional power. I do not see any inevitability of Sino-U.S. conflict because I do not see fundamental conflicts of interest between us. —Henry Kissinger
Except for hegemonic states, no country is content with the status quo. As long as it possesses sufficient strength, it will inevitably expand outward or dominate its region. Only by becoming a hegemon can it feel truly secure. All great powers have escaped this logic, and China will not be an exception. Currently, China is still weak and a "paper tiger," so it is biding its time. But one day, China will become a real tiger. —John Mearsheimer
The United States and China will have more areas of potential cooperation in the evolving international landscape. Whether it is terrorism, the spread of infectious diseases, or changes in global funding, these issues will be more severe in 20 years than they are now. Therefore, I believe they will exert pressure on U.S.-China cooperation, especially when China becomes a larger component of the global economy. And the economy will be the focus of U.S.-China relations. —Joseph Nye
Despite some entanglements and issues and divisions between China and the United States, the ultimate goal of Sino-U.S. relations is to improve. This is necessary for world peace and stability. China does not pose a threat to the United States, and the United States should not view China as an adversary.
This book is structured logically, moving from the macro to the micro, from the general to the specific. It is divided into three parts.
Part I, consisting of Chapters 1 and 2, discusses the macro global situation and its impact on China and the United States: Chapter 1 covers the overall international situation and the perspectives of China and the United States on it. Both countries view the current international situation favorably, considering it a "strategic golden period" for their development. Chapter 2 examines the trends of global power shifts, helping readers understand the positions of the United States and China in the future global landscape.
Part II, consisting of Chapters 3, 4, and 5, focuses on the foreign strategies and power dynamics of China and the United States: Chapter 3 analyzes the evolving U.S. strategy toward China; Chapter 4 discusses the changing Chinese strategy toward the United States; Chapter 5 examines the current state and trends of Sino-U.S. power dynamics.
Part III, consisting of Chapters 6 and 7, explores the positive and negative factors influencing the development of Sino-U.S. relations: Chapter 6 covers the major negative factors affecting Sino-U.S. relations; Chapter 7 discusses the key positive factors influencing the development of Sino-U.S. relations.
The conclusion primarily reflects on the strategic stance and thinking China should adopt to promote the development of Sino-U.S. relations from China's perspective.
The remarks of the interviewed experts are concentrated mainly in Chapters 3, 6, and 7, while the other chapters have relatively fewer insights. To help readers better understand the ideas expressed by the experts, a "Biographical Notes on Interviewed Experts" is appended at the end of the book.