Keller, William and Thomas Rawski

Summary
As indicated by its title, China’s Rise and the Balance of Influence in Asia is focused on “the impact of one major development: China’s massive and unexpected growth spurt of the past twenty-five years” (p. 9). The volume’s multidisciplinary approach, alternative theoretical frames, and nuanced findings are valuable amidst the ongoing debate over “a rising China” because they consider Asia’s shifting balance of power and prescriptions for America’s Asia policy. Bookended by an introduction and a conclusion focusing upon China’s economic, military, political, and technological development, the remaining seven chapters elaborate on the implications of these four intertwined aspects of China’s rise. Following this detailed analysis, one key contribution is the insight that “existing systems” are sufficiently “adaptive to support peaceful accommodation” of China as a regional and global power (p. 13), but not without the caveat that the future depends as much on American and Asian nations.