Between Ally And Partner

by Chung, Jae Ho

• ISBN13: 9780231139069
• ISBN10: 0231139063
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-12-01
• Publisher: Columbia Univ Pr

Summary

China and South Korea have come a long way since they were adversaries. The arc of their relationship since the late 1970s is an excellent model of East-West cooperation and, at the same time, highlights the growing impact of China's "rise" over its regional neighbors, including America's close allies. South Korea-China relations have rarely been studied as an independent theme. The accumulation of more than fifteen years of research, Between Ally and Partnerreconstructs a comprehensive portrait of Sino-Korean rapprochement and examines the strategic dilemma that the rise of China has posed for South Korea and its alliance with the United States. Jae Ho Chung makes use of declassified government archives, internal reports, and opinion surveys and conducts personal interviews with Korean, Chinese, and American officials. He tackles three questions: Why did South Korea and China reconcile before the end of the cold war? How did rapprochement lay the groundwork for diplomatic normalization? And what will the intersection of security concerns and economic necessity with China mean for South Korea's relationship with its close ally, the United States? The implications of Sino-Korean relations go far beyond the Korean Peninsula. South Korea was caught largely unprepared, both strategically and psychologically, by China's rise, and the dilemma that South Korea now faces has crucial ramifications for many countries in Asia, where attempts to counterbalance China have been rare. Thoroughly investigated and clearly presented, this book answers critical questions concerning what kept these two countries talking and how enmity was transformed into a zeal for partnership.

Table of Contents

List of Tables	ix
Preface	xi
The Rise of Korea-China Relations and the United States	1	(11)
The ``Rise'' of China and Its Impact on Neighbors	2	(2)
From Confrontation to Cooperation: The Case of South Korea-China Relations	4	(2)
The Evolution of Sino-South Korean Cooperation: A Literature Review	6	(2)
The Focus of the Book	8	(2)
The Structure of the Volume	10	(2)
A Sketch of Sino-Korean Relations	12	(7)
A ``Special'' Relationship in Geopolitical Time	13	(3)
South Korea and China: A Contemporary Puzzle	16	(3)
Perspectives on the Origins of the South Korea--China Rapprochement	19	(10)
Strategic Accommodation by Minimizing Systemic Constraints	20	(1)
Envisioning an Interdependent Trading State	21	(2)
Reform and Opening: Linking the Changes from Within	23	(6)
South Korea-China Relations Before 1988	29	(14)
Sino-South Korean Relations Before 1979	29	(3)
The Initiation Phase, 1979--1983	32	(2)
The Expansion Phase, 1984--1987	34	(1)
Patterns of Sino-South Korean Trade, 1979--1987	35	(4)
South Korea's Investment in China, 1984--1987	39	(2)
The Political Limits of Sino-South Korean Relations	41	(2)
The Political Economy of Rapprochement, 1988--1992	43	(13)
The Takeoff Phase, 1988--1990	43	(2)
The Normalization Phase, 1991--1992	45	(2)
Sino-South Korean Trade, 1988--1992	47	(2)
South Korean Investment in China, 1988--1992	49	(2)
The Infrastructure of South Korea--China Bilateralism	51	(2)
The External Constraints on Sino--South Korean Bilateralism	53	(3)
The Politics of Normalization: Actors, Processes, and Issues	56	(19)
Top Leaders and Informal Channels	56	(6)
Factors of Bureaucratic Politics	62	(7)
Operation East Sea: Facts and Lessons	69	(6)
Beyond Normalization: South Korea and China in the Post-Cold War Era	75	(17)
Post--Cold War Northeast Asia in Flux	75	(3)
Postnormalization Sino--South Korean Relations: Compatibility, Competition, and Cooperation	78	(6)
Beyond Economics: Strategic Compatibility?	84	(6)
The South Korean Variable: Divided Allegiance?	90	(2)
The Rise of China and the U.S.--South Korean Alliance Under Strain	92	(16)
China's Rise Over South Korea	93	(3)
South Korea's Views of China and the United States	96	(4)
Perceptual Ambivalence Toward China	100	(2)
The U.S.-South Korea Alliance Under Strain: Room for Wedging?	102	(6)
Between Dragon and Eagle: Korea at the Crossroads	108	(15)
The Future of China: Beyond Simple Dichotomy	109	(3)
The Menu of Choices and Rational Constraints	112	(4)
Parameters of South Korea's Choice: Where the United States and China Converge	116	(3)
Walking the Tightrope: The Choice of Not Making Choices	119	(4)
Notes	123	(58)
Index	181