1st Edition

An Analysis of David C. Kang's China Rising Peace, Power and Order in East Asia

By Matteo Dian, Jason Xidias Copyright 2017
    112 Pages
    by Macat Library

    112 Pages
    by Macat Library

    A critical analysis of David C. Kang’s China Rising, which is a fine example of an author making use of creative thinking skills to reach a conclusion that flies in the face of traditional thinking.

    The conventional view that the book opposed, known in international relations as ‘realism,’ was that the rise of any new global power results in global or regional instability. As such, China’s development as a world economic powerhouse worried mainstream western geopolitical scholars, whose concerns were based on the realist assumption that individual countries will inevitably compete for dominance. Evaluating these arguments, and finding both their relevance and adequacy wanting, Kang instead turned traditional thinking on its head by looking at Asian history without preconceptions, and with analytical open-mindedness.

    Producing several novel explanations for existing evidence, Kang concludes that China’s neighbors do not want to compete with it in the way that realist interpretations predict. Rather than creating instability by jockeying for position, he argues, surrounding countries are happy for China to be acknowledged as a leader, believing that its dominant position will stabilize Asia, and give the whole region more of a hand in international relations.

    Though critics have taken issue with Kang’s conclusions, his paradigm-shifting approach is nevertheless an excellent example of developing fresh new conclusions through creative thinking.

    Ways In to the Text 

    Who was David C. Kang? 

    What does China Rising Say? 

    Why does China Rising Matter? 

    Section 1: Influences  

    Module 1: The Author and the Historical Context 

    Module 2: Academic Context 

    Module 3: The Problem 

    Module 4: The Author's Contribution 

    Section 2: Ideas 

    Module 5: Main Ideas 

    Module 6: Secondary Ideas 

    Module 7: Achievement  

    Module 8: Place in the Author's Work 

    Section 3: Impact  

    Module 9: The First Responses 

    Module 10: The Evolving Debate  

    Module 11: Impact and Influence Today  

    Module 12: Where Next? 

    Glossary of Terms  

    People Mentioned in the Text 

    Works Cited

    Biography

    Dr Matteo Dian holds a PhD in international relations from the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, where he research focused on the evolution of the US-Japanese alliance after World War II. He is currently a research fellow at the University of Bologna, where he continues to work on international relations with a special focus on the place of China in world politics.

    Dr Jason Xidias has held positions at King’s College London, the University of California, Berkeley, and the New College of the Humanities in London.