Russo-Ukrainian War: Implications for the Asia Pacific explores the implications of the Russo-Ukrainian war for American and Chinese engagement in the Asia Pacific. It interprets Russia's invasion of Ukraine which began on February 24, 2022 as part of a complex double game where the Kremlin and Washington simultaneously spar, bluffing for high stakes despite catastrophic risks in the name of lofty ideals, while pursuing expedient default agendas. Both sides champion virtuous global orders compatible with their tastes and objectives. Washington seeks to compel Moscow to abide by its rules and vice-versa.
The immediate impact of the Russo-Ukrainian War on the Asia Pacific has been to confirm Chinese President Xi Jinping's perception that Washington is committed to low-cost, regime-changing Cold War with China to preserve its status as the world's preeminent superpower. Washington is willing to increase hard power defense spending modestly to tackle the Taiwan and South China Sea issues, but will not compete with China in an arms race, curtail productivity stifling government over-regulation and social spending or curb China's abusive state trading.
Emboldened by what Washington considers America's successes in the Russo-Ukrainian proxy war, American President Joe Biden plans to reinforce military spending with attitude management campaigns, moral suasion and coalitions of the willing including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization — efforts to spark Chinese color revolution and regime change. Biden diplomatically calls his policy Cold Peace, but his actions bespeak Cold War.
Amid the power contestation among the United States, Russia and China, it is naïve in the contemporary world to suppose that the three major powers can permanently subjugate each other. Wise leadership requires satisficing for the attainable good rather than striving for the delusional best.
Contents:
Preface
About the Author
Executive Summary
List of Figures, Tables, and Maps
Introduction
Russo-American Partnership:
- Cold War World Order
- New Thinking
- Partnership
- Economic Miracle
Estrangement:
- Rearmament
- NATO Expansion
- Revolution of Dignity
- Crimean Annexation
Confrontation:
- Minsk II Protocol
- Economic Sanctions
- Cold Peace
War Path:
- Polarization
- Hotspots
- Flash Point
- Revealed Preference
Russo-Ukrainian War:
- Proxy War
- Cold War
- Just War
- Pristine War
- Color Revolution
- Crusade
- Nuclear War
- Next Time Will Be Different
Battle for the Asia Pacific:
- Market Communism
- Technology Transfer
- Military Modernization
- Taiwan
- Trade
- Sino-American Quandary
- Prospects
Conclusion
Appendices:
- Bergson's Systems Function
- Russian Economic Performance and Prospects
Index
Readership: Students and researchers focusing on international relations, international security and peace studies as well as those interested in the history, politics and economy of Russia, China and the United States.
Key Features:
- Presents an objective RealPolitik investigation of how America seized defeat from the jaws of victory after the Soviet Union imploded by intriguing to control Ukraine and detach it from Russia's sphere of influence
- Emphasizes the implausibility of the West's soft power approach to dominating Russia and China through economic sanctions and moral suasion, inadequately supported by hardpower and social mobilization
- Provides a detailed historical narrative tracing the evolution of East-West relations from Mikhail Gorbachev and Deng Xiaoping to Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden and Xi Jinping
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