John Mearsheimer, a political science professor at the University of Chicago known for his realist theory of international relations, recently shared profound insights on Sino-American relations during his visit to China. Mearsheimer believes that with the changes in the international landscape, the United States can no longer prevent the rise of China, a perspective that offers a new angle for understanding the complexity of current Sino-American relations.
Mearsheimer pointed out that since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the world has experienced a shift from a bipolar to a unipolar and then to a multipolar structure. In this process, the rise of China and Russia has broken the unipolar hegemony of the United States, making international affairs more complex and diverse. He emphasized that the United States has been sowing chaos rather than fostering stability, with its foreign policy often heavily colored by geopolitical considerations, aimed at protecting its own interests without regard for the feelings and interests of other nations.
When discussing Sino-American relations, Mearsheimer expressed deep concern. He believes that as China becomes a great power, the United States views China as a peer competitor, fundamentally changing and increasingly conflictual in Sino-American relations. He predicts that the security competition between the United States and China will become more intense, but he also expressed hope that the two countries can coexist harmoniously, which would prove his theory wrong.
Mearsheimer’s theory is known as “offensive realism,” and he argues that competition and conflict between China and the United States during China’s development are inevitable, with the United States also striving to contain China. He emphasizes that this competition is not about “who is good or bad,” but rather the nature of international politics. He hopes that leaders of China and the United States will take wise actions in the face of crises and avoid military conflicts through diplomatic solutions.
In summary, Mearsheimer’s views reveal some fundamental issues in Sino-American relations. Although his perspective is pessimistic, it also provides an opportunity for us to re-examine and consider how to seek peace and cooperation in a multipolar world. Whether the United States can accept China’s rise and how the two countries can coexist in competition will be an important issue in international relations in the future.