A Contest for Supremacy China, America, and the Struggle for Mastery in Asia

by Friedberg, Aaron L.

• ISBN13: 9780393068283
• ISBN10: 0393068285
• Edition: 00
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-08-15
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Summary

There may be no denying China's growing economic strength, but its impact on the global balance of power remains hotly contested. Political scientist Aaron L. Friedberg argues that our nation's leaders are failing to act expeditiously enough to counter China's growing strength. He explains how the United States and China define their goals and reveals the strategies each is now employing to achieve its ends. Friedberg demonstrates in this provocative book that the ultimate aim of Chinese policymakers is to "win without fighting," displacing the United States as the leading power in Asia while avoiding direct confrontation. The United States, on the other hand, sends misleading signals about our commitments and resolve, putting us at risk for a war that might otherwise have been avoided. A much-needed wake-up call to U.S. leaders and policymakers, A Contest for Supremacy is a compelling interpretation of a rivalry that will go far to determine the shape of the twenty-first century.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. xi
Preface	p. xiii
Introduction: A Contest for Supremacy	p. 1
Means of Ascent	p. 9
Roots of Rivalry	p. 36
From Containment to Alignment	p. 58
"Congagement"	p. 88
"The Propensity of Things"	p. 120
"Hide Our Capabilities and Bide Our Time"	p. 142
"To Win without Fighting"	p. 156
The Balance of Influence	p. 182
The Balance of Power	p. 215
Alternative Strategies	p. 245
Can America Keep Its Balance?	p. 264
Appendix: Sources and Methods	p. 285
Notes	p. 295
Index	p. 343
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