Member Review
Review by
Reviewer 1344681
In this book, Ma and Kang build on their 2017 paper on the likelihood of a conflict between a rising China and the United States as hegemon. Kang and Ma ultimately argue that the power transition theory which informs this argument is based on a European history and experience and not that of East Asia and China. Delving into East Asian history, Ma and Kang reveal that for historical East Asia, common conjecture and shared understandings shaped war and peace in the region, and internal challenges rather than external threats and conquest were the reasons for the dynastic transitions. They conclude that these 2 key factors hold lessons for understanding contemporary China and the future of US-China relations.
This is a thought-provoking book for scholars of East Asia and China-US relations as it presents a new, fresh perspective on US-China relations that counters the dominant view of China as a threat to the US based global order. Based on the lessons above, it offers a new perspective on contemporary China's primary concerns as a regional and global actor, suggesting that China may be more focused on its internal challenges than overtaking the US in the global order. This argument counters the dominant, US informed and championed narrative of a rising China bent on toppling and replacing the US as the global hegemon.
For me, as an international relations scholar, this book is interesting in how it lays out a pretty convincing and well researched argument on how East Asian history can help understand current US-China relations. This is an interesting text when considering Kuan-Hsing Chen's call to view "Asia as Method" and the potential lessons Asia has for International Relations scholarship and theory. As an International Relations scholar within the decolonial studies paradigm, this was a thoroughly informative text that affirms the dangers of holding as universal Eurocentric IR theories.
While I did feel that some parts of the book were a bit repetitive, in how the 2 key arguments of the book a beat into you with each chapter, I think overall the book was an easy read, such that anyone (even non-academics) interested in China's rise and East Asian history can pick this book up.
In the conclusion, Ma and Kang also leave ideas on future scholarship based on the lessons within the book which are interesting to consider and think through as History/ politics/ international relations scholars.
This is a thought-provoking book for scholars of East Asia and China-US relations as it presents a new, fresh perspective on US-China relations that counters the dominant view of China as a threat to the US based global order. Based on the lessons above, it offers a new perspective on contemporary China's primary concerns as a regional and global actor, suggesting that China may be more focused on its internal challenges than overtaking the US in the global order. This argument counters the dominant, US informed and championed narrative of a rising China bent on toppling and replacing the US as the global hegemon.
For me, as an international relations scholar, this book is interesting in how it lays out a pretty convincing and well researched argument on how East Asian history can help understand current US-China relations. This is an interesting text when considering Kuan-Hsing Chen's call to view "Asia as Method" and the potential lessons Asia has for International Relations scholarship and theory. As an International Relations scholar within the decolonial studies paradigm, this was a thoroughly informative text that affirms the dangers of holding as universal Eurocentric IR theories.
While I did feel that some parts of the book were a bit repetitive, in how the 2 key arguments of the book a beat into you with each chapter, I think overall the book was an easy read, such that anyone (even non-academics) interested in China's rise and East Asian history can pick this book up.
In the conclusion, Ma and Kang also leave ideas on future scholarship based on the lessons within the book which are interesting to consider and think through as History/ politics/ international relations scholars.
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