Cultural Pragmatism for US-China Relations: Breaking the Gridlock and Co-creating Our Future

Description

The Thucydides trap and a US-China face-off are not structurally inevitable; US-China relations are what the US and China make of them. Phua focuses on the ability to see "US as US" and "China as China" to trigger both countries’ cultural tendencies towards pragmatism. Phua examines China’s arduous journey to fit in the Westphalian system, the deep cultural misunderstandings by the West of Sunzi’s The Art of War, and attempts to offer an inside-out cultural synthesis of classical and modern Chinese thought as a proxy of their operational code, beyond the standard clichés about Confucian and Daoist thought. He builds on Jervis’ perception and misperception as well as Alastair Johnston’s cultural realism. Readers will benefit from a culturally-Chinese, western-educated and politically neutral understanding of "China as China". An essential primer for academics, practitioners and students of international relations, diplomacy and Chinese culture. Cover Endorsement Page Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents Preface Introduction: what is Cultural Pragmatism? Chapter 1 From trade war to cold war? Protectionism vs. free trade The US-China trade war The Thucydides trap Conclusion Notes Bibliography Chapter 2 Why does China punch below its weight in international relations theory? International relations: An Anglo-European discipline? Anglo-European structuralism Effects of Anglo-European structuralism on Chinese international relations theory A resilient “Chinese-ness” today? Chinese vs. Anglo-European structuralism – a case of “dialectical blindness” Conclusion Notes Bibliography Chapter 3 Sunzi in the US military thinking: A case of cultural misunderstanding Sunzi in the Gulf War The Boyd factor Strategic culture The Owens factor Strategic culture in perspective Sunzi in America Conclusion Notes Bibliography Chapter 4 The origins of Chinese political thought Fight for your rites: the decline and fall of the Zhou dynasty From ru to wandering persuaders: the rise of the official class A hundred schools of thought contend Han syncretism Neo-Confucianism Twentieth-century developments in Chinese thought Conclusion Notes Bibliography Chapter 5 Modern Chinese international relations theory Chinese literature on international relations: a review Pragmatism and Cultural Pragmatism in China’s international relations Wisdom studies in international relations Notes Bibliography Chapter 6 Separating military and economic leadership in international relations The monopoly of legitimate benevolence The tributary system Foreign relations with Chinese characteristics Everyone’s a winner: reconciling the Chinese and US perceptions of international politics Notes Bibliography Chapter 7 Conclusion: a non-zero-sum vision of international relations Notes Post-script: Tribute to Robert Jervis Index