American Response to Rising China: Implications for the Region

Abstract

Since Deng Xiaoping’s rise to power in 1978, China is on trajectory of economic development. Thirty years of unparalleled economic development has made China a potential superpower, which may pose challenge to American supremacy in Asia-Pacific region and subsequently across the whole world. China has started asserting its legitimacy over South China and East China seas, although rest of the regional players (including American allies Japan and Philippines) are also claimant in these seas. The growing threat to the US-designed and supported security structure in the region has made the US cautious of Chinese strategic designs. In response to China’s rise, the US has started perceiving China as a potential contender and has already assured its extended deterrence to the regional allies besides cooperating with China with a position of strength. This American position of strength has become visible after the announcement of Asia-Pivot (later termed as ‘Rebalancing’), which includes extraordinarily strong presence of the US troops in the region. However, the regional actors still seem reluctant to side with either of China and the US; because, on the one hand, they do not want to derail their economic partnerships with China and, on the other hand, they still have concerns about durability of the American assurance and rebalancing in the long run.