Steve Chan Livres

The interplay between a nation's culture and its economic development is explored, highlighting how Confucian heritage has driven China's swift economic rise. The book examines the implications of East Asia's growing significance in global politics and economics, particularly in the context of the competitive dynamics between China and the United States for international leadership. It delves into the cultural underpinnings that shape these nations' economic strategies and their potential impact on future global relations.

Geography's broad influence on international relations is thoroughly examined, encompassing aspects such as physical size, location, terrain, climate, and strategic pathways. The analysis extends to how these geographical factors shape relationships between nations, including the impact of natural resources and imagined communities. By exploring these elements, the book provides a comprehensive understanding of how geography plays a crucial role in global interactions.

What motivates states to act as they do? This work examines a specific motivation that drives states to challenge existing international norms and institutions, focusing on the concept of revisionism, which has been underexplored in international relations. The authors critique current discourse on revisionism and analyze the historical origins and evolution of revisionist states' foreign policy. They introduce indicators to assess and compare the revisionist tendencies of contemporary China and the U.S. Challenging the assumption that historical patterns will repeat, they argue that "hard" revisionism, characterized by war and conquest, is less viable today. Instead, "soft" revisionism, aimed at promoting institutional change, is more relevant. The authors particularly focus on Sino-American relations, asserting that much of the existing discourse based on power transition theory is flawed. They contend that a dominant power is not necessarily committed to defending the international order, nor does a rising power typically possess a revisionist agenda. The transformation of international order does not require a power transition between China and the U.S., nor does such a transition inevitably lead to conflict.