A Triad of Another Kind; The United States, China, and Japan

by Ming Zhang and Ronald N. Montaperto

• ISBN13: 9780312216078
• ISBN10: 0312216076
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 1999-01-15
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

In the early 1990s, the U.S.-Chinese-Soviet strategic triangle vanished into history and, simultaneously, the U.S., China, and Japan formed their own power triad in the Asia-Pacific region. Is this another hostile strategic triangle? How do the three great powers interact with one another? Ming Zhang and Ronald Montaperto tackle these questions and present their thoughtful answers in A Triad of Another Kind . Investigating elite perception, domestic constraint, and international distribution of power, the authors find the triangular relationship full of uncertainty but not necessarily of hostility. They reveal the distinguishing characteristics of this triad, including its tendency to function as a reciprocal entity, rather than forming two-against-one relationships. A Triad of Another Kind is the first full-length work that critically examines the U.S.-China-Japan triangle, posing relevant questions and providing up-to-date analyses of this relatively new international pattern.

Author Biography

Ming Zhang is Director of Research at IHS International in Virginia.

Ronald N. Montaperto is Senior Research Professor at the Institute for National Strategic Studies, National Defense University. He is the author of numerous books, articles, and chapters on contemporary Chinese politics.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Chapter 1. Introduction: The Problem and Methodology	1	(8)
Chapter 2. Testing Sino-U.S. Relations: The Taiwan Issue	9	(30)
Chapter 3. U.S.-Japan Security Alliance: The Trial of a New Mission	39	(28)
Chapter 4. The Balance of Power between China and Japan: Growth and/or Mutual Threat?	67	(26)
Chapter 5. The Triad as Reciprocal Relations: How Does It Work?	93	(22)
Chapter 6. Conclusion: Back to the Theory and Future	115	(12)
Appendix 1. Remarks by President Clinton in His Address on China and the National Interest	127	(10)
Appendix 2. Remarks by Chinese President Jiang Zemin	137	(2)
Appendix 3. Text of U.S.-Japan Defense Cooperation Guidelines	139	(4)
Bibliography	143	(12)
Index	155