Abstract
China’s economic development and military modernization herald a new US–China great power rivalry. While this rivalry spans across the spatial, economic, technological, resource, and military contestation, however, unlike the Cold War super power US and Soviet Union's ideological and military competition, US–China relation is an unfolding puzzle deeply embedded complex interdependent relationship. This chapter argues that US–China bilateral relation is a ‘managed competition,’ where the role of perceptions and reputation have larger role to play. China seeks to project its rise as a responsible great power, whereas US sees China as a revisionist power. Thus the contestation in the realm of narratives would have a major impact on the future of this rivalry. This chapter underscores the rationale of undertaking the impact of Soft power and public diplomacy in China’s foreign policy toward United States. It further shed light on China's emphasis on the narrative of 'Peaceful Development' as a counterweight to the ‘Rise of China.’
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Notes
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William H. Overholt used the tem Rise of China in his 1993 article “The Rise of China” in a Foreign Affairs article. Later In 1998 Nicholas D. Kristof book titled the Rise of China designated China as a rising power. Whereas, a book by Michael B. Yahuda titled The China Threat argued that China constitutes threat to the South East Asian state.
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Zheng Bijian is an established Chinese academician, scholar and a politician who has served on various important positions at of the CCP and Senior Advisor to Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs. As of 2023, he is chair of China Reform Forum based in Bei**g.
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- 14.
For the purpose of this study the ‘West’ or ‘Western’ has been used to denote the culturally and ideologically knitted Western Civilization that includes North America and Western Europe and also Australia. However, it is also interchangeably used for the United States of America in relationship to indicate its perception regarding the ‘Rise of China.’
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Zubair, B. (2023). Introduction. In: Chinese Soft Power and Public Diplomacy in the United States. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-7576-1_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-7576-1_1
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