First Prize: After the Pivot to the Asia-Pacific: Now what?

Authors

  • Shaohan Lin Canadian War Studies, Royal Military College

Abstract

The combination of military drawdown in the Middle-East and China’s increasingly assertive behaviour in the Asia-Pacific has prompted a shift in American foreign policy in the region. The resulting pivot was conceived as a hedging strategy that allowed the US to militarily prepare for worst-case contingencies without squandering the economic benefits that it enjoys with China. The pivot has failed to significantly shape China’s behaviour to American preferences; in some respect, the pivot has merely served to inflame Sino-US relations. Nevertheless, this paper contends that, despite its mixed record of effectiveness, the pivot is worth maintaining on the basis that it is potentially advantageous to both the US and China.

Author Biography

Shaohan Lin, Canadian War Studies, Royal Military College

Shaohan Lin holds a Bachelor degree in Political Science with a Minor in History from McGill University, where he has garnered an interest in Chinese politics and history. He is currently enrolled in the Royal Military College of Canada’s War Studies programme for his Master’s degree. During his ongoing sojourn at RMC, he has developed a particular appreciation for American foreign policy. His fascination with Sino-American relations will serve as the bedrock of his thesis on the examination of American grand strategy through a neoclassical realist lens.

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Published

2015-07-14

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 2 (2015)

Section

JMSS Awards of Excellence