In the chapter “How Aggressive is China” from the book Avoiding War with China by Amati Etzioni, the author discusses the actions that have been taken by China that are perceived by the United States and its allies in the region as aggressive and proactive and puts them into a larger context that takes into account international rules and norms, the history of China and the region, and the behavior of the United States itself. Through this lens, the author is able to show China in an unsensationalized light and is able to offer realistic policy recommendations for dealing with China.
For example, the author Amati Etzioni points out certain aspects of America’s diplomatic efforts in the South China Sea that are not often mentioned when discussing the topic. Etzioni points out that the United States often interferes in the negotiation with China and its neighbors like the ASEAN countries. The author points out how the United States uses the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as part of their justification for their criticism of Chinese activities in the South China Sea when the United States has not even signed the treaty itself. By providing this honest view of Chinese foreign policy, Etzioni provides a more realistic view of China’s activities that does not characterize it as an overwhelmingly powerful villain hell-bent on regional domination. Rather, the picture Etzioni paints is that were China is just another geopolitical rival of the United States, a picture that is much closer to reality.
Harry,
While Etizioni’s views are not the majority position, that is exactly why I assigned his chapter. His argument is a useful reminder that there are almost always two sides to every dispute. Since the end of WWII, China has watched as the US has dominated the western Pacific with a navy that was unchallenged. Now, China is powerful enough to do so. But that said, some of the moves that it has made–e.g., militarizing coral atolls in the South China Sea and claiming them as its territory appears to be in direct violation of the Law of the Sea Treaty. We’ll discuss all of this further in class.
–Professor Wallerstein