ABSTRACT
China Rising employs a combination of liberal and constructivist methods. It follows liberalism insofar as David C. Kang stresses the importance of economic exchange and interdependence in maintaining peace and security. While his analysis is widely regarded as original and valuable, David C. Kang's work has not produced an entirely new school of thought. Rather, it has made an important contribution to the study of Asian politics within international relations theory, and offered an alternative perspective on the ascent of China as a major global power. Liberalism was the dominant theory in international relations from World War I to World War II, and has been reinvigorated since the 1970s to explain how nations as trade partners operate within international politics. Kang's approach is also informed by the constructivist stance in his focus on Asian countries' unique history and identity, which, he believes, has accommodated a reemergence of a Sinocentric system that welcomes China as a leader in the region.
