SINO-US RELATIONS AND ITS
IMPACT ON WORLD SECURITY
International Security & Peace
Virginia de la Fuente
Question

Scholars have different opinions about the
implications of China’s rise to International Security.
What are the bases of such divergent views?
Instability vs. Peaceful coexistence
Offensive Neorealism:
Mearsheimer
China’s rise cannot
continue being peaceful.
Chinese perspective
Defensive Neorealism
China should be able to
coexist peacefully with
both its neighbors and
US.
English School: Barry
Buzan
Peaceful rise is possible,
but it will create
inevitable tensions.
China’s rise will be peaceful and beneficial both
to the Chinese people and the rest of the world.
Offensive Neo-Realism: Mearsheimer’s theory

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
According to him, China will behave as US did before
with Imperial Germany, Imperial Japan, Nazi
Germany and Soviet Union. Why?:
5 assumptions:
States are in Anarchic
System.
States have offense military
capability.
States can never be sure
about other states’ intentions.
Survival is the main principle
of the State.
States are rational.
State’s behavior:
1) Feeling fear
2) Self protection
3) Becoming powerful. Power= Security
How to become powerful?
Regional hegemon = No competitors
Mearsheimer: “China will imitate US”
Following his ideas:
 It can be expected that China wants to maximize its
relative power and build a powerful military.
 A regional hegemon does not want peer competitors. So,
why should China accept US military forces in its backyard?
 US and China’s neighbors will not allow China to dominate
Asia.
All of this will bring INSTABILITY on World Security
Defensive Neo-Realism



More optimistic about China’s rise.
Great powers do not pursue hegemony, because their rivals
will form a balancing coalition and prevent it.
Chinese leaders as Bismarck  Instead of dominating
Asia/Europe, make your own country better.
 Nuclear weapons will be a force
for peace if China continues its rise.
 China has been growing without
conquering other countries. Why
should it change now?
 Unipolarity  Bipolarity 
Multipolarity
English School: Barry Buzan




Peaceful rise involves a
two-way process, China
cannot accomplish it alone
 International society
should work together to
create necessary
conditions.
If China is engaged with Western-dominated international
society, should also play the game following the rules.
“With great power comes great responsibility”.
China should rethink: 1) China’s own identity, 2) Kind of Int’
Society that wants to promote, 3) Reconciliation with Japan.
Chinese perspective



“Theory of peaceful rise”
 China will be different
from Germany, Japan or
Soviet Union.
China’s peaceful rise =
China’s modernization.
China will never advocate the use of force to
destroy and sabotage International Order, because
does not need it in order to keep on growing since it
can threat and stop Chinese rise.
However… Everything is not so bright…

Most recent conflict between China and US:
South China Sea Islands
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYq6hs5D64g
Bibliography
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Mearsheimer, John J. “China’s unpeaceful rise”. Current History. April, 2006.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DMn4PmiDeQ
Dunne, Tim, Kurki, Milja, Smith, Steve eds. International Relations Theories:
Discipline and Diversity. 3rd edition. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press,
2013.
Buzan, Barry. “China in International Society: Is ‘Peaceful Rise’ possible?”.
The Chinese Journal of International Politics, Vol. 3, 2010.
Zheng, Bijian. “The 16th Party Congress of CPC and China’s new path of
peaceful rise”. Collection of Zheng Bijiang’s essays. Vol. 3. Shanghai:
Shanghai People’s Press, 2005.
Zheng, Bijian. “The suggestion to carry out research about China’s
development path of peaceful rise”. Collection of Zheng Bijiang’s Eassays.
Vol. 3. Shanghai: Shanghai People’s Press, 2005.
Charlotte Alfred, “China’s President pledges $1 billion to UN for ‘Peace
and Development’”. The World Post. September 29, 2015.