12/07/2020: Does Chinese foreign behavior warrant sustained US countermeasures?

Dealing with assertive China was the most prominent foreign policy issue in the 2020 presidential election campaign and the debate remains acute. Advocates of hard countermeasures toward China say previous US administrations’ failure to counter Chinese challenges resulted in China now posing an enormous danger to American interests. Critics play down past failures and dangers posed by China, condemn excesses in the recent US hard-line, and favor a more moderate and nuanced approach.

Which approach is better? Robert Sutter’s fifth edition overhauls previous editions to offer a comprehensive evidence-based assessment of Chinese foreign behavior to conclude that the United States, its allies and partners are fundamentally challenged by wide-ranging and intensifying Chinese efforts to weaken America in headlong pursuit of ever expanding Chinese ambitions. If successful, the Chinese efforts will undermine and overshadow the existing world order with one dominated by an authoritarian party-state focused on advancing Chinese wealth and power at the expense of others. Sutter concludes that sustained US measures are needed to counter Chinese challenges seen in every major area of Chinese foreign policy behavior.

Sutter will provide an overview of the book and engage attendees during Q&A.