ABSTRACT
In recent years, China has rapidly become a major economic power. Although its gross domestic product (GDP) per capita is still low in comparison with other large economies, its total GDP and trade volume are among the highest in the world. China has also gained diplomatic influence, not only in the region but around the world. At the same time, the rapid increase of China’s military power, both traditional and nuclear, has raised concerns in the United States and Japan. The implications of China’s multi-dimensional rise for peace and stability in international relations have been controversial in both academic and policy circles. In the policy realm, positive and negative arguments have been presented from the perspectives of realism, liberalism, and constructivism. With regards to China, major powers as well as neighboring states have adopted cooperative as well as hedging policies. In order to cope with the suspicion of other countries, China has presented a theory to account for its own peaceful rise, or peaceful development. This theory may have been accepted by some countries that have already adopted a cooperative or non-confrontational attitude, but not others. In the current environment, perceptions of China’s rise should be treated as not only a policy issue, but also a theoretical challenge.
