Wendy Dobson

From The Book Wheel

Last week I attended a forum with Michael O’Hanlon, director of research for the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution, and we spent a good chunk of time talking about U.S.-Chinese relations and the future of what it means to be a superpower. It was both informative and eye-opening and it led me to immediately pick up Partners and Rivals: The Uneasy Future of China’s Relationship with the U.S. by Wendy Dobson.

An approachable and easy-to-read discussion about the current state of affairs in both the U.S. and China, Dobson breaks down both domestic and international policies that will facilitate or hinder the relations between a rising China and the reigning superpower. The main problem I had with the book is that it primarily focuses on what China is doing wrong and, let’s be honest, the U.S. isn’t perfect (Dobson is Canadian). But if you’re interested in this topic even just a little bit, then I highly recommend reading it. It’s short and broken down into easy-to-understand sections that isn’t bogged down with irrelevant information. In an effort to make the review as approachable as the book, I’m going to point out a few of the key bits of information. I hope you learn something!

Both countries think they are exceptional. This isn’t surprising but it’s no less important for its lack of shock value. We’ve all heard about American Exceptionalism, but China’s rise in contrast to a floundering US (and global) economy has given them a renewed confidence in themselves. But despite this, China considers itself poor and wants to focus on domestic issues following decades of humiliation. More on that later.

Economic interdependency. China’s economy is already at 70% of the U.S.’s and they are growing 4x faster, which puts them in a prime position to be the world’s economic leader. The problem with this is that China also owns a good portion of the U.S. debt and is the largest foreign holder. Could this be a national security threat? Some say yes because if China surpasses the U.S. then it’s a whole new ballgame, but others say that they would never do anything to threaten the relationship.

For the full review, click here.… (meer)