Pacific Power Paradox: American Statecraft and the Fate of the Asian Peace

by Van Jackson

Overview

A new history of Asian peace since 1979 that considers America’s paradoxical role

After more than a century of recurring conflict, the countries of the Asia-Pacific region have managed something remarkable: avoiding war among nations. Since 1979, Asia has endured threats, near-miss crises, and nuclear proliferation but no interstate war. How fragile is this “Asian peace,” and what is America’s role in it? Van Jackson argues that because Washington takes for granted that the United States is a force for good, successive presidencies have failed to see how their statecraft impedes more durable forms of security and inadvertently embrittles peace. At times, the United States has been the region’s bulwark against instability, but America has been a threat to Asian peace as much as it has been its guarantor. By grappling with how America fits into the Asian story, Van Jackson shows how regional stability has diminished because of U.S. choices, and why America’s margin for geopolitical error is less now than ever before.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780300268713
Publisher:	Yale University Press
Publication date:	01/10/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	571 KB

About the Author

Van Jackson is a senior lecturer in international relations at Victoria University of Wellington and the author of several books including On the Brink and Rival Reputations.

Table of Contents

Preface vii

Acknowledgments ix

List of Abbreviations and Acronyms xi

Introduction 1

1 The Asian Peace as a Guide to Statecraft 9

2 Founding the Asian Peace 29

3 Conservative Domination of Asia 42

4 A Unipolar Imperium and Its Discontents 71

5 The War on Terror versus Great-Power Competition 105

6 Pivoting in Posthegemony Asia 131

7 The Risk-Wager Imbalance of the Trump Era 164

8 Searching for an Indo-Pacific Peace 197

Notes 213

Index 271

Editorial Reviews

Jackson’s book is very thought-provoking and it shines a light on Asia’s fragile peace, and the impact that great powers can have on that peace.”—John West, Australian Outlook, Australian Institute of International Affairs

“A deeply researched analysis.”—American Prospect

“This book presents a timely and critical account of American statecraft toward Asian peace since the Nixon administration. Provocative in theoretical reasoning, rigorous in empirical analysis, and rich in policy implications, it is a must-read for students of American foreign policy and Asian studies.”—Chung-in Moon, Yonsei University

“Van Jackson’s Pacific Power Paradox is a ‘must read’ for policymakers, would-be policymakers and students of history focused on America’s role in Asia. Jackson has not only written an impressive, tightly written distillation of the history of America’s foreign policy on Asia, but tells his narrative through an incredibly useful, practical frame—the tools of statecraft.”—Philip W. Yun, president and CEO of World Affairs

“In this refreshing and stimulating book, Van Jackson challenges the conventional wisdom about the role of the United States in Asia with sophistication and rigor. Anyone interested in the region’s past—and future—should read it.”—M. Taylor Fravel, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

From the Publisher

In this refreshing and stimulating book, Van Jackson challenges the conventional wisdom about the role of the United States in Asia with sophistication and rigor. Anyone interested in the region’s past—and future—should read it.”

Massachusetts Institute of Technology M. Taylor Fravel

This book presents a timely and critical account of American statecraft toward Asian peace since the Nixon administration. Provocative in theoretical reasoning, rigorous in empirical analysis, and rich in policy implications, it is a must-read for students of American foreign policy and Asian studies.”

Yonsei University Chung-In Moon

Van Jackson’s Pacific Power Paradox is a ‘must read’ for policymakers, would-be policymakers and students of history focused on America’s role in Asia. Jackson has not only written an impressive, tightly written distillation of the history of America’s foreign policy on Asia, but tells his narrative through an incredibly useful, practical frame—the tools of statecraft.”

President and CEO of World Affairs Philip W. Yun