ABSTRACT
The rise of China is making its impact on the political, economic, and security landscape in Asia and beyond. Traditionally, shifts in the geo-strategic balance of power gave rise to a new order in international relations. Unfortunately, many of those changes took place in bloodshed. Can the rising Asian powers avoid the tragedy of great power destruction? Will the change of the Asia-Pacific geostrategic landscape become a force for peace and stability? There are no ready answers to these questions. After all, the world has not seen a peaceful rise of a great power nor a smooth transition of international order; yet Asia today is witnessing the rise of several great powers side by side – China has taken off with its rapid industrialization; India is following aggressively behind; Japan, after years as an economic superpower, is ready to add political and military significance to its great power status; South Korea is also becoming a great power to be reckoned with rather than a protégé of the United States; and finally, Russia, a degraded great power, is determined to restore its greatness. While these great powers pursue their national goals, they nevertheless have to pay attention to the unsettling relations with one another. In addition, the changing relations between these Asian powers and the United States are matters of great importance. By many measures, China is at the center of these changing relations. It is becoming more and more clear to all that if China can peacefully come to terms with the other great powers in their new forms, there will be peace and stability in Asia.
