The US Rebalance to the Asia Pacific and its Implications for China
Author
Karadocheva, Lora Ivanova
Term
4. term
Publication year
2017
Submitted on
2017-07-31
Abstract
This thesis examines the United States’ rebalance toward the Asia-Pacific announced in 2011 and discusses its implications for China. Grounded in structural realism—considering both defensive and offensive variants as well as concepts of hegemony and balance of power—it addresses two core questions: why the United States shifted its focus to the region and which strand of realism best explains that shift; and what the rebalance implied for China’s role and its relationships with neighboring states. The study is limited to the Obama era (2011–2016) and centers on U.S. military decisions, force posture, and alliances in the region, assessed alongside China’s actions and regional perceptions. Methodologically, it adopts a deductive approach and qualitative document analysis of official statements and policies (including Clinton and Obama in 2011) and independent assessments from think tanks such as CSIS and defense-related reports commissioned by the U.S. Department of Defense. The excerpt highlights prevailing interpretations—such as Chinese concerns about potential containment and other regional states’ cautious welcome—as well as political and budgetary constraints, but it does not present final findings; the thesis aims to link policy rhetoric and practice in a systematic appraisal of the rebalance’s strategic logic and its consequences for China.
Dette speciale undersøger USA’s politiske rebalance mod Asien og Stillehavet, som blev annonceret i 2011, og drøfter dens betydning for Kina. Med udgangspunkt i strukturel realisme – herunder både defensiv og offensiv realisme samt begreberne hegemoni og magtbalance – søger specialet at besvare to hovedspørgsmål: hvorfor USA skiftede fokus mod regionen, og hvilken realistisk underretning der bedst forklarer dette skifte; samt hvilke implikationer rebalancen havde for Kinas rolle og relationer til nabolande. Analysen afgrænses til Obama-perioden (2011–2016) og fokuserer primært på USA’s militære beslutninger, styrkepositionering og alliancer i regionen, holdt op mod Kinas handlinger og regionale opfattelser. Metodisk anvendes en deduktiv tilgang og kvalitativ dokumentanalyse af officielle udtalelser og politikker (bl.a. Clinton og Obama i 2011) samt uafhængige vurderinger fra tænketanke som CSIS og forsvarsrelaterede rapporter bestilt af det amerikanske forsvarsministerium. Uddraget fremhæver udbredte fortolkninger i regionen – herunder kinesiske bekymringer om mulig inddæmning og andre staters forsigtige velkomst – samt politiske og budgetmæssige rammevilkår, men præsenterer ikke endelige resultater; specialets bidrag er at koble politisk retorik og praksis i en systematisk vurdering af rebalancens strategiske logik og konsekvenser for Kina.
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