The article “China’s Unpeaceful Rise” by John Mearsheimer raises the very serious issues that are rife with the problem of geopolitics’ control in Asia. Nowadays, China is gaining more and more power in this region presenting significant problems to the world’s political situation. In connection with such tendency, Mearsheimer wonders if it is possible for China to occupy the leading position in Asia peacefully. In his article, he discusses a number of reasons why he believes it is not possible.
The article begins with Mearsheimer’s prognosis concerning the possible development in the area of world power distribution in case China will continue its triumphant economic growth. The author explains that if things will continue the same successful for China it will not be possible for the United States to avoid security competition with this country leading to imminent war. Next, the book provides serious facts explaining the necessity of developing reliable theory explaining the main tendencies of newly emerged world power’s conduct. Mearsheimer explains his theory of world powers’ conduct stating that the newly emerged world power has a purpose of establishing its dominance in the geopolitical region it is located in while implementing all the possible measures in order to block the control of the other states in its geopolitical regions. The main body of the article contains a coherent and cohesive argument on the way China will develop in the nearest time, and to what consequences for the world it will lead. It explains the mechanism leading to becoming hegemony in the area of its location for any particular country. Then, China is compared to the characteristic of hegemony, and is said to become it in the nearest future. After this, the author describes the features of United States as the regional hegemony for a few centuries. He, then, makes one’s prognosis concerning possible conflicts between the United States and China aimed to weaken each other’s power in the region of their hegemony. Finally, possible troubles for the world are described by the author as a prediction of the conflict between the United States and China.
Highlighting the main points of the article, it should be stated that they are in the author’s position concerning the possible developments in the world power distribution caused by China’s ever-growing economic potential. The author develops his own theory explaining the strategies of world powers. In addition, he provides a number of strong arguments and evidences supporting the supposition that China’s upcoming raise as the world power will certainly lead to a war with the United States. The other possible scenario is in initiating a “cold war” as it happened in the case with the Soviet Union when it started to threaten the status of the United States as the hegemony in its region. Reflecting on the article’s main findings, it should be stated that they appear to be very logical, trust-worthy and really thought-provoking, as a result. The world has already seen the consequences of war for the domination between hegemonies, and they appeared to be very sad each time. Thus, the strategies directed to avoiding such conflicts must be developed.
Overall, the findings of the article under consideration can be evaluated as strong and persuasive. In his article, Mearsheimer provides reliable facts and arguments helping to see the main tendencies in China’s development, and its effects on the situation in the world.
Works Cited
Mearsheimer, John J. “China’s Unpeaceful Rise.” Current History, vol. 105, no. 690, 2006, pp. 160–62. Crossref.