Book review: Strategic Reassurance and Resolve, by James Steinberg and Michael O'Hanlon
"The sheer magnitude of the rise of China, in the face of America's continued power and global network of alliances, is unprecedented in the history of nations.
by James Steinberg and Michael O'Hanlon
Princeton University Press
4 stars
"The sheer magnitude of the rise of China, in the face of America's continued power and global network of alliances, is unprecedented in the history of nations. But so too could the accomplishment of these giants of the 21st century in showing that an established superpower and a rising superpower need not allow their relationship to produce hegemonic rivalry of major war."
That is the concluding paragraph of by two Washington insiders.
James Steinberg is a former deputy secretary of state in the Obama administration, while Michael O'Hanlon is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who specialises in national security policy.
They argue that in the 40-plus years since president Richard Nixon's visit to China in February 1972, bilateral relations have been largely co-operative, with deep economic inter-dependence between the two.
But these relations have reached a crossroads, with Beijing now able to challenge Washington's leadership in the Asia-Pacific region.
