Lexington Books China's Quiet Rise: Peace Through Integration (Challenges Facing Chinese Political Development)

Despite China's desire to make its rapid ascendance in the 21st century as non provocative as possible, the key to ensure China's peaceful rise lies in two-way integration and engagement. A closely integrated China with the rest of the world and China's acceptance of existing international norms and rules may compel China to behave in a more predictable and responsive way. This co-edited book examines China's rising military capacity and the complex feelings its neighbors, such as Taiwan, South Korea and India, have toward the increasingly powerful China. The focus of this book is on the efforts made by China to brand her non-aggressive image through promoting public diplomacy and expanding regional free trade and cooperation in Asia and Latin America. It uses the cross-Taiwan-strait relations as a testing ground for the prospect of peace between the two former adversaries. China's Quiet Rise will help readers understand why integration, instead of isolation and containment, may be the most effective way to facilitate China's peaceful rise. Review China's Quiet Rise tackles the critical topic of China's ascendancy. It sheds light on China's impressive military modernization, intensifying participation in global, regional, and bilateral economic agreements, and expanding presence in regions of the world such as Latin America. Contrary to those who raise alarm about China's political, military, and ideational challenge, the book's contributors reveal that capabilities may not tell us the whole story, that China has been moderate in many of its dealings, and flexible in a multitude of trade negotiations. While countries such as India watch their giant neighbor warily, China has been sensitive to the need to assuage the fears of others through soft power and other means. On top of these contributions, the book delves quite deeply into the politico-economy of cross-Strait relations, giving its readers a rich appreciation of rising China's integration on a regional level and the possible pacifying effects of such integration.--Jean-Marc F. Blanchard, President of the Association of Chinese Political Studies The analysis is sharp, the assessment is balanced, and the insights are profound. A must-read for anyone who wants to understand the nature, prospects, and implications of China's rise and its goal of the unification with Taiwan.--He Li, Merrimack College About the Author Baogang Guo is associate professor of political science at Dalton State College, Georgia. Chung-chian Teng is Dean of the College of International Affairs at National Chengchi University.