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.
","abstract_html":"<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>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Stewart, Larry Buster"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts in Social Sciences (M.A.)","degree_level":"Thesis (open access)","degree_discipline":"Department of Sociology and Anthropology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Krista Wiegand","Richard Pacelle"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2008,"date_issued":"2008-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2008-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:27:19Z","subjects":["ETD","American foreign policy","Engagement","China's rise","Rule of law","Freedom","Globalization","Democratization","China","Relations","Asian Studies"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/614","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Krista Wiegand","Richard Pacelle"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Stewart, Larry Buster"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2013-10-17T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Department of Sociology and Anthropology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis (open access)"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts in Social Sciences (M.A.)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["ETD","American foreign policy","Engagement","China's rise","Rule of law","Freedom","Globalization","Democratization","China","Relations","Asian Studies"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/614"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["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.
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"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/614"],"dc:subject":["ETD","American foreign policy","Engagement","China's rise","Rule of law","Freedom","Globalization","Democratization","China","Relations","Asian Studies"],"dc:title":["Sino-American Relations in the 21st Century: The Political, Social and Economic Realities of China's Rise"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Department of Sociology and Anthropology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis (open access)"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts in Social Sciences (M.A.)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:27:19Z"}