A happy ending is possible but not guaranteed. Rising powers do not always clash with established powers. Great powers can coexist peacefully, if their strategic aspirations are compatible. If Beijing’s regional aspirations are non-hegemonic, then the strategic prerequisites for Asia-Pacific coexistence will be in place. Through constructive engagement with their Chinese counterparts, American leaders can demonstrate the long-term benefits Beijing would enjoy from a Chinese regional posture that eschews egregious pressure, intimidation, and zero-sum competition and embraces existing world norms that hold promise for uninterrupted Chinese development.
To facilitate a positive outcome, it would be advisable to encourage China’s participation in the TPP. Economic interdependence is not a panacea, but it has conflict-dampening benefits. It would also be advisable to encourage China’s involvement in more military-to-military discussions and cooperative security endeavors. Transparency is not a panacea, but it too has conflict-dampening benefits. More generally, it will be advisable to encourage China’s integration into regional and global institutions as much as possible. U.S. leaders may also need to construct ways to show Chinese leaders the significant costs China will likely bear if it insists on using its greater coercive capabilities along narrowly nationalistic paths.
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