ABSTRACT
We are in the midst of a power transition between the West and East in general (Hoge, 2004) and the USA and China in particular (Mearsheimer, 2010), with the terms ‘power shift’ and ‘power transition’ both used to describe the changeover. ‘Power shift’ sometimes refers to short-term, limited material exchanges, trade-offs and redistributions among actors and geopolitical spaces, while ‘power transition’ is usually used in analyses of the larger consequences of material power exchanges between the two topmost actors in the international system – exchanges that have long-term implications for their statuses and reputations. From the perspective of Chinese International Relations (IR) theorists, power transition research and debates among western (especially North American) scholars clearly reflect a wariness of China’s emerging economic power and consequential ‘China threat’. On their part, Chinese IR scholars clearly distinguish between the ideas of ‘power shift’ (quanli biangeng, 权力变更; or quanli bianqian, 权力变迁) and ‘power transition’ (quanli zhuanyi, 权力转移) (see, Zhu, 2006; Liu, 2009; Wang, 2012). Most believe that the power transition between China and the USA is far from complete, while the power shift is already in place. However, when it comes to China’s rising power and status in Asia – both of which are tied to material growth and national rejuvenation – those same theorists acknowledge the need for proper policy strategies to mitigate potential Sino-American conflicts.
