Other
Michael D. Swaine
{
"authors": [
"Michael D. Swaine"
],
"type": "legacyinthemedia",
"centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"Carnegie China"
],
"collections": [],
"englishNewsletterAll": "asia",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Carnegie China",
"programAffiliation": "AP",
"programs": [
"Asia"
],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"East Asia",
"China",
"North America",
"United States"
],
"topics": [
"Foreign Policy",
"Security",
"Military"
]
}
Source: Getty
In The Media
No Collision Course
Many Sinologists have labored for years to disabuse lay readers of the notion that contemporary China is a modern-day imperial dynasty bent on dominating Asia and beyond.
Published on Jun 30, 2017
Source: New York Times
To the Editor:
Judith Shapiro’s review (June 18) of two recent books by Howard W. French (“Everything Under the Heavens”) and Graham Allison (“Destined for War”) uncritically reinforces two prevailing myths about modern China. Many Sinologists have labored for years to disabuse lay readers of the notion that contemporary China is a modern-day imperial dynasty bent on dominating Asia and beyond. But Shapiro (channeling French) buys into this delusion without any qualms.
Similarly, many international relations specialists have incisively challenged Allison’s flawed application of the so-called Thucydides’s Trap to Sino-United States relations, yet Shapiro sees the argument as confirmation of French. The overall result is yet another simplistic affirmation of the “China threat” thesis.
MICHAEL D. SWAINE
WASHINGTON
This letter to the editor was originally published in the New York Times.
About the Author
Michael D. Swaine
Former Senior Fellow, Asia Program
Swaine was a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and one of the most prominent American analysts in Chinese security studies.
- What Kind of Global Order Should Washington and Beijing Strive For?
- A Smarter U.S. Strategy for China in Four StepsCommentary
Michael D. Swaine
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
More Work from Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center
- Egypt’s Discrete Role in the Ceasefire with IranCommentary
Cairo’s efforts send a message to the United States and the region that it still has a place at the diplomatic table.
Angie Omar
- Realism and the Lebanon-Israel TalksCommentary
Beirut’s desire to break free from Iranian hegemony may push it into a situation where it has to accept Israel’s hegemony.
Michael Young
- The United States and Iran Have Agreed to a Two-Week CeasefireCommentary
Spot analysis from Carnegie scholars on events relating to the Middle East and North Africa.
Michael Young
- Iran Rewrites Its War StrategyCommentary
In an interview, Hamidreza Azizi discusses how Tehran has adapted in real time to the conflict with the United States and Israel.
Michael Young
- Trump’s Plan for Gaza Is Not Irrelevant. It’s Worse.Commentary
The simple conclusion is that the scheme will bring neither peace nor prosperity, but will institutionalize devastation.
Nathan J. Brown
