Sino-American Relations in the 21st Century: The Political, Social and Economic Realities of China's Rise

<p>This paper examines the political, social and economic realities of Chinas rise in an effort to better understand the potential evolution of Sino-American relations. Engagement reasons a prosperous China will become democratic and socially pluralistic, but by observing the development of freedom and rule of law in China and comparing their relationship with economic growth, trade and investment, this analysis challenges the idea that China will have to democratize to meet the pressures of globalization. Economic growth has legitimatized the authoritarian regime in China, freedom is not related to decisions of trade and investment, and the Chinese people have not grown closer to America as their ties to the outside world have strengthened. China has changed, not in the direction American foreign policy desires or international relations theories predict. My findings confirm Chinas rise is uncertain and belief in the inevitability of democracy or war neglects historical and empirical data.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts in Social Sciences (M.A.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis (open access)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Department of Sociology and Anthropology

Year dc:date.available

2008

Author dc:creator

• Stewart, Larry Buster

Contributors dc:contributor

• Krista Wiegand
• Richard Pacelle

• ETD
• American foreign policy
• Engagement
• China's rise
• Rule of law
• Freedom
• Globalization
• Democratization
• China
• Relations
• Asian Studies

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/614

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu:etd-1614