Asia's Reckoning

June 5, 2017
Seasoned Asia correspondent McGregor (The Party) anatomizes the dynamic, often strained trilateral relationship between China, Japan, and the U.S. since WWII. His informed volume comes at a time when, in his opinion, East Asia sits at the heart of the global economy and China’s aggressive foreign policy is upsetting the region’s stability. McGregor reviews China’s stunning rise to prosperity, beginning with the Deng Xiaoping era, and the economic expansion of East Asia as a whole, now a manufacturer of smartphones, furniture, and clothing for the world. While McGregor emphasizes the enduring American-Japanese postwar alliance, he recounts U.S. ambivalence toward Japan’s emergence as an economic superpower. He also outlines a century of seemingly intractable animosity between China and Japan. Often critical of Washington’s “combination of idealism and arrogance,” McGregor offers detailed, vivid descriptions of America’s Asian diplomacy. His work demonstrates that a long-established Pax Americana, now buffeted by rising Chinese ambitions and military power, is facing unprecedented challenges. Reviewing East Asia’s toxic rivalries with balance and insight, McGregor’s survey concludes ominously with President Trump’s lack of familiarity with regional issues and disdain for old alliances, portending further tensions in East Asia’s future.

July 15, 2017
Wide-ranging study of China's re-emergence as a regional power in Asia after a long hiatus, thwarting the designs of other powers, including the United States and Russia.The presence of the U.S. in Asia, Chinese leaders argue, is a matter of choice. China's presence, conversely, is a "geopolitical reality." So writes journalist McGregor (The Party: The Secret World of China's Communist Rulers, 2010) in this far-reaching exploration of how China has been building influence in Asia while at the same time frustrating Washington's efforts to assert American superpower dominance--and even resisting it, as in a recent instance in which China seized territory claimed by the Philippines, when "Washington was outmaneuvered in what for the United States was a clarifying moment." The author further triangulates this rise with the recent re-emergence of Japan as a military presence in the region--though, as he notes, China has been taking pains to improve relations with Japan, even as it asserts territorial claims in the East China Sea. It was for that reason that Barack Obama spent so much time cultivating Shinzo Abe and was "willing to put his personal reservations...aside to work more closely with the Japanese prime minister." Not so Obama's successor, who has been sending mixed signals to both Japan and China, threatening to cancel trade agreements and demanding that Asian nations in the American sphere pay more for their own defense. The U.S. is therefore firmly ensnared in the so-called Thucydides trap, "the principle that it is dangerous to build an empire but even more dangerous to let it go." So it is, and the current leadership appears to be at a loss about what to do or to formulate other aspects of any coherent policy in and toward Asia. Geopolitics wonks will want to give attention to this urgent but nonsensationalized argument.

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September 1, 2017

What do China's rise, Japan's stagnation, and the potential decline of U.S. power mean for the future of the Asia/ Pacific region? Journalist McGregor (The Party: The Secret World of China's Communist Rulers) addresses this question by providing a detailed description of diplomatic relations among the three superpowers since World War II. Examining this history provides readers with important context regarding recent disagreements between China and Japan, specifically their continued differences over historical interpretations of World War II and territorial disputes over islands in the East China Sea. The author makes a strong case that U.S. security guarantees have kept the peace in the region. However, concerns over increasing Chinese aggression and possible American drawdown from the region are prompting Japan to strengthen its position. The inclusion of fascinating anecdotes of interactions among leaders and diplomats from these countries makes this a highly enjoyable read. VERDICT Essential for readers interested in international relations or East Asian diplomatic history and a great companion volume to Clyde Prestowitz's Japan Restored, which covers overlapping topics from a future-oriented perspective. [See Prepub Alert, 4/3/17.]--Joshua Wallace, Tarleton State Univ. Lib. Stephenville, TX

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