Idea of the Day: Embed China in the International System

August 19, 2008

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The United States should move beyond the engagement strategy we’ve pursued for 30 years and seek China’s integration into the international system as a responsible, engaged, and respected stakeholder so it can address urgent global problems such as climate change. In the long run, this will strengthen the international system and will also help mold China’s behavior. The United States should signal to China that it understands China occupies an important place in the existing international order, that its development depends on the preservation of that order, and that the United States and the world expect China to fulfill its regional and international responsibilities. In return for China’s fulfillment of more responsibilities, it will have greater opportunities to shape evolving norms, rules, and institutions.

For more on this topic, please see:

• A Global Imperative: A Progressive Approach to U.S.-China Relations in the 21st Century by Nina Hachigian, Michael Schiffer, Winny Chen