Authors: Evan S. Medeiros and Ashley J. Tellis
Affiliation: Georgetown University; Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Organization/Publisher: Foreign Affairs
Date/Place: July 8, 2021/USA
Type of Literature: Article
Word Count: 1600
Link: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/asia/2021-07-08/regime-change-not-option-china
Keywords: China, The USA, Competition
Brief:
The authors analyse America’s ideological strategy against China’s rise, an expressly ideological strategy during both the Trump administration and now the Biden administration that has sought to change the regime by putting pressure on the Chinese Communist Party. If the US continues to focus on toppling the Chinese Communist Party, it will cause several challenges like losing its partnership with China on some topics, reducing its ability on some contentious issues, and most importantly America’s hegemony may suffer by failing to form a coalition with other states which are far from interested in undermining the Chinese Communist Party. The authors argue that Washington should focus on Beijing’s behaviour instead of its leadership. America can conduct a collective international environment to limit China’s behaviour in a way more practical than any regime change strategy. This strategy requires some allies that are away from China’s pressure to increase relations, or able to counter potential Chinese military actions in the Indo-Pacific such as Japan and Australia. This more practical strategy could help to prevent Beijing from undermining fundamental US diplomatic, economic, technological, and military interests. Regardless, in the end, the US and China’s confrontation will be inevitable.
By: Esra Ibrahimagaoglu, CIGA Research Intern
