I want you to write a 5-page double-spaced paper MLA format, on the possible devlopment of US. – China relations through a structural realist view, using kenneth Waltz, Mearsheimer. political scientists. Below I have attached an outline that you can use to help you. please do not use Ai.
I. Introduction
- Hook: As China’s economic and military power grows, the global order faces a potential reconfiguration not seen since the Cold War.
- Context: Structural realism offers a framework for understanding the underlying pressures shaping the behavior of great powers like the U.S. and China.
- Thesis: Through the lens of structural realism, both Kenneth Waltz and John Mearsheimer argue that the anarchic nature of the international system compels great powers to act aggressively or defensively to ensure survival. While Waltz believes balancing behavior can stabilize the system, Mearsheimer contends that conflict is inevitable when a rising power threatens a hegemon. As such, U.S.–China relations are likely to become increasingly competitive, and potentially conflictual, regardless of intentions or diplomacy.
II. Structural Realism: Core Assumptions and Divergence
A. Core Concepts of Structural Realism
- International system is anarchic (no central authority).
- States are rational, unitary actors focused on survival.
- Power is the primary means of ensuring security.
Waltz: “In a self-help system, if you want to survive, you do what you have to do.” Mearsheimer: “The overriding goal of each state is to maximize its share of world power.”
B. Defensive vs. Offensive Realism
- Waltz: Security-seeking behavior, cautious balance of power.
- Mearsheimer: Power-maximizing behavior, revisionist logic of hegemony.
III. Waltz’s Defensive Realism and the Stability of the U.S.–China System
A. China’s Rise as a Structural Adjustment
- Waltz sees China’s rise as a natural result of the international system’s distribution of power.
- States adjust through balancing, not domination.
Quote: “States seek to maintain their position in the system rather than to maximize power.”
B. Balancing and Stability
- U.S. alliances in the Asia-Pacific (Japan, QUAD, AUKUS) seen as defensive, stabilizing mechanisms.
- Emphasis on nuclear deterrence and mutual restraint.
Quote: “The structure of a system changes with changes in the distribution of capabilities.”
C. War Avoidance is Possible
- Waltz would argue that the system discourages reckless action; the cost of war is too high.
- Rational states recognize limits.
IV. Mearsheimer’s Offensive Realism and the Likelihood of Conflict
A. China’s Intent: Regional Hegemony
- China seeks dominance in East Asia and to push the U.S. out of the Western Pacific.
- Similar to how the U.S. established hegemony in the Western Hemisphere.
Quote: “The pursuit of power stops only when hegemony is achieved.”
B. U.S. Strategy: Containment
- U.S. actions—arming Taiwan, sanctioning Chinese tech firms, naval patrols—reflect hegemonic defense.
Quote: “The United States will go to great lengths to contain China…”
C. Power Transitions Are Dangerous
- Offensive realism views rising powers as inherently destabilizing.
- Economic interdependence or diplomacy cannot override structural imperatives.
Quote: “China cannot rise peacefully.”
V. Case Study: Taiwan as a Flashpoint
A. Taiwan and the Security Dilemma
- China’s attempt to reclaim Taiwan vs. U.S. interest in defending democratic allies.
- Each side interprets the other’s moves as aggressive.
B. Waltz: Taiwan Could Be Stabilized by Clear Deterrence
- Avoid escalation by making costs explicit and credible.
C. Mearsheimer: Taiwan Is the Most Likely Site of War
- A strategic test of regional control; high stakes for both powers.
VI. Conclusion
- Restate thesis: Structural realism predicts that U.S.–China tensions are a result of systemic pressures, not miscommunication or ideology.
- Synthesis: Waltz provides hope for stability through balance and caution; Mearsheimer warns of inevitable conflict driven by power-maximizing behavior.
- Final thought: Unless one power decisively concedes its strategic interests—a rarity in international politics—the rivalry between the U.S. and China is likely to escalate, making structural realism not only relevant, but essential, for understanding our geopolitical future.
Potential quotes you can choose from, citations are below.
Kenneth Waltz – Defensive Realism
1. “States seek to maintain their position in the system rather than to maximize power.”
- Source: Waltz, Kenneth. Theory of International Politics (1979), p. 126
- Context: Waltz argues that states are primarily security-seeking, not power-maximizing. They aim to maintain their relative position and avoid unnecessary risks that come with over-expansion.
2. “In a self-help system, if you want to survive, you do what you have to do.”
- Source: Waltz, Kenneth. Theory of International Politics (1979), p. 111
- Context: This captures the logic of anarchy in the international system, where each state must fend for itself.
3. “The structure of a system changes with changes in the distribution of capabilities.”
- Source: Waltz, Kenneth. Theory of International Politics (1979), p. 97
- Context: This is foundational to neorealism: power (measured by capabilities) determines international outcomes, not intentions.
John Mearsheimer – Offensive Realism
1. “The overriding goal of each state is to maximize its share of world power.”
- Source: Mearsheimer, John. The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (2001), p. 21
- Context: Mearsheimer’s core argument: in an anarchic system, states don’t just seek survival—they seek hegemony.
2. “The pursuit of power stops only when hegemony is achieved.”
- Source: Mearsheimer, John. The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (2001), p. 2
- Context: This quote supports the idea that great powers continually seek more power until they dominate their region.
3. “The United States will go to great lengths to contain China and prevent it from achieving regional hegemony—just as it did with the Soviet Union.”
- Source: Mearsheimer, John. “Can China Rise Peacefully?” The National Interest, October 25, 2014.
- Context: An article in which Mearsheimer expands his offensive realist view to U.S.–China relations specifically.
4. “China cannot rise peacefully.”
- Source: Mearsheimer, John. “Can China Rise Peacefully?” The National Interest, 2014.
- Context: This is perhaps his most famous line regarding China; it encapsulates his entire argument that rising powers provoke counterbalancing and conflict.
If you’re citing in a paper, I recommend using the following formats:
Book Citation (APA example):
Waltz, K. N. (1979). Theory of international politics. McGraw-Hill.
Mearsheimer, J. J. (2001). The tragedy of great power politics. W.W. Norton & Company.
Article Citation:
Mearsheimer, J. J. (2014). Can China rise peacefully? The National Interest. https://nationalinterest.org