ABSTRACT
The premise of this book has been that there is no single U.S. policy perspective on China, but there is instead a multiplicity of valid and substantive policy perspectives as have been analyzed in considerable detail in the preceding chapters. Ultimately, however, U.S. policy must be more than a collection of fragmented perspectives. This final chapter explores how these distinct – and at times mutually contravening – policy perspectives towards China’s rise are linked together, traded off against one another, and potentially reconciled. A diagrammatic exposition shows how economic, sustainability, and geopolitical policy perspectives are intertwined. It concludes with an assessment of the institutional basis for U.S.-China relations, and it reflects on how domestic policy postures within the United States can shape its relationship with China, for better or worse.
