From a theoretical point of view, Thucydides' s Trap is the idea of realism, especially the idea of offensive realism, that changes in the international power structure will inevitably escalate to international co...From a theoretical point of view, Thucydides' s Trap is the idea of realism, especially the idea of offensive realism, that changes in the international power structure will inevitably escalate to international conflict and war. As we analyze the historical origin of Thucydides' s Trap from the perspective of political strategy, we can see that Thucydides' s Trap was put forward by Graham T. Allison and other western scholars,and that their understanding and analogy between Athens and Sparta,between China and the United States mainly involves three aspects:strength determinism, war benefit theory and bilateral relations theory.These three misunderstandings involve objective factors, subjective factors, and the scope of Thucydides' s Trap. China should avoid falling into the theoretical trap of strength determinism, with great initiative to promote the sustainable development and the rise of China by adhering to the strategy of Chinese Economic Reform and Opening up, and to construct the community of common destiny, while controlling and managing a third-party factor emerging in the Sino-US bilateral relations.展开更多
The US presence in East Asia is not simply a result of the victory over Japan in WW2,but a legacy of the US takeover of the Spanish overseas empire in 1898.Today,the threat of war between China and the US has little t...The US presence in East Asia is not simply a result of the victory over Japan in WW2,but a legacy of the US takeover of the Spanish overseas empire in 1898.Today,the threat of war between China and the US has little to do with Allison's Thucydides trap,which is based on a misreading of Thucydides'work:It originates from what in China is seen as a US imperial presence that mirrors Western inter-ference in Chinese affairs during the so-called“century of humiliation.”China is an authoritarian state with regional hegemonic ambitions,yet the West has been endorsing other authoritarian states,even absolute monarchies,that fit its geopoliti-cal interests.Notwithstanding the purported US support of“freedom”and“democ-racy,”the US in East Asia has been carrying out a foreign policy that,as an exten-sion of misinterpretations of the Monroe Doctrine,is a legacy of empire.This legacy is too often overlooked,while overseas interests are justified on the basis of secu-rity concerns.Thucydides is relevant,but to compare the American and Athenian empires and their demise,not to drag China into US geopolitical discourse,when focus should have long been on Russia.Anti-colonial theory shows how interstate relations,in particular in the East Asian context,are not defined by Thucydides trap,but Thrasymachus paradox.展开更多
文摘From a theoretical point of view, Thucydides' s Trap is the idea of realism, especially the idea of offensive realism, that changes in the international power structure will inevitably escalate to international conflict and war. As we analyze the historical origin of Thucydides' s Trap from the perspective of political strategy, we can see that Thucydides' s Trap was put forward by Graham T. Allison and other western scholars,and that their understanding and analogy between Athens and Sparta,between China and the United States mainly involves three aspects:strength determinism, war benefit theory and bilateral relations theory.These three misunderstandings involve objective factors, subjective factors, and the scope of Thucydides' s Trap. China should avoid falling into the theoretical trap of strength determinism, with great initiative to promote the sustainable development and the rise of China by adhering to the strategy of Chinese Economic Reform and Opening up, and to construct the community of common destiny, while controlling and managing a third-party factor emerging in the Sino-US bilateral relations.
文摘The US presence in East Asia is not simply a result of the victory over Japan in WW2,but a legacy of the US takeover of the Spanish overseas empire in 1898.Today,the threat of war between China and the US has little to do with Allison's Thucydides trap,which is based on a misreading of Thucydides'work:It originates from what in China is seen as a US imperial presence that mirrors Western inter-ference in Chinese affairs during the so-called“century of humiliation.”China is an authoritarian state with regional hegemonic ambitions,yet the West has been endorsing other authoritarian states,even absolute monarchies,that fit its geopoliti-cal interests.Notwithstanding the purported US support of“freedom”and“democ-racy,”the US in East Asia has been carrying out a foreign policy that,as an exten-sion of misinterpretations of the Monroe Doctrine,is a legacy of empire.This legacy is too often overlooked,while overseas interests are justified on the basis of secu-rity concerns.Thucydides is relevant,but to compare the American and Athenian empires and their demise,not to drag China into US geopolitical discourse,when focus should have long been on Russia.Anti-colonial theory shows how interstate relations,in particular in the East Asian context,are not defined by Thucydides trap,but Thrasymachus paradox.
