Journal of International Relations & Foreign Policy

George Kennan’s Realpolitik for Strategic Competition with China: A Strategy of Containment for the 21st Century
Andrew P. Hubbard

Abstract
This paper argues that although the nascent strategic competition with the PRC will be fundamentally different from that which followed World War IIdue to changed geostrategic realities—in particular the deep economic dependencies between the PRC and advanced and developing democracies. However, major portions of the U.S. grand strategy to contain the USSR as laid out by George Kennan from 1945-49 are applicable to the current circumstance. Specifically, the U.S. should(a) establish a balance of power with the PRC by shoring up its military alliances and economic partnerships with Western-oriented states in Europe and Asia; (b) fragment and dilute the PRC‘s attempt to achieve global economic and technological hegemony by increasing economic and diplomatic competition with the PRC in non-aligned states; while (c) continuing to attempt to change PRC behavior to align with international norms through diplomatic engagement with the PRC to secure cooperation on areas of mutual interest, such as climate change and nuclear proliferation. The strategy must also avoid several pitfalls, such as diluting scare resources by seeking by taking a ―perimeter defense‖ approach or by taking actions that dilute U.S. soft power.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jirfp.v9n1a2