This collection examines the political logic of the ongoing trade war between the United States and China. The contributors examine a number of theories behind the trade war, the historical background in which the trade war emerged, and the international contexts.

This is the first comprehensive study by the world’s leading scholars about the political logic of the U.S.-China trade war that started during the Trump administration. The book is divided into three parts. The first part looks at changed leadership styles of the two countries in the last few years. It also examines the liberal international order since World War II in which the trade war emerged. It then explores the theoretical perspectives from both the United States and China that are related to the trade war. The second part is about the domestic factors that impacted on the trade war from China’s perspective. These factors include China’s institutional adaptation of the new international environment, the radicalization of the Chinese political discourse, and Big Power Diplomacy. The third part explores the U.S. domestic factors that impacted the trade war, such as the Trump administration’s different China policy in general, the role played by the U.S. Congress, business lobby, and the transition of foreign policy from a Wilsonian World Order to Jacksonian Nationalism.

Part 1: Theories and the Global Context

Introduction: Global Context and Personality Politics

Shiping Hua, The University of Louisville

Chapter 1: The Logic of Power Politics: The Thucydides Trap and the China-U.S. Trade War

Greg Moore, Colorado Christian University

Chapter 2: IR Theory with Chinese Characteristics: Interpreting Global Politics Through Chinese Exceptionalism Lens

Benjamin Ho, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Chapter 3: The Liberal International Order after WWII.

Michael Fowler, University of Louisville

Part 2: Domestic Factors (China)

Chapter 4: Institutional Adaptation and Regime Resilience under Xi Jinping

Steve Hess, Transylvania University

Chapter 5: Great Power Diplomacy with Chinese Characteristics and US-China Trade War

Ngeow (Peter) Chow-Bing, University of Malaya, Malaysia

Chapter 6: Chinese Domestic Politics and the Trade War.

R. Lincoln Hines, Cornell University

Chapter 7: The Radicalization of China’s Global Posture, Narratives and Strategies.

Zhimin Lin, Valparaiso University, Qi Wang, University of Macau

Part 3: Domestic Factors (USA)

Chapter 8: U.S. Domestic Politics and the Trade War

Robert Sutter, George Washington University

Chapter 9: Missionary Zeal, Profits and Constituent Interests: The Politics Behind Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China and Current Reactions

Larry Wortzel, American Foreign Policy Council.

Chapter 10: The Impact of U.S. Domestic Politics on the Trade War.

Chung-chian Teng and Yeh-chung Lu, National Chengchi University, Taiwan.

Chapter 11: US-China Policy under Trump:The Politics of International Economic Relations

Gordon C. K. Cheung, Durham University, UK.

Chapter 12: The U.S. Congress and the Business Lobby

Jack Zhang, University of Kansas.

Chapter 13: Trump, Biden, and China: From a Wilsonian World Order to Jacksonian Nationalism

Dean Chen, Ramapo College of New Jersey.

About the Contributors