A New Cold War: Henry Kissinger and the Rise of China

About this book

Author: Sanjaya Baru, Rahul Sharma Publication: HarperCollins Format: Hardback Pages: 320 pages In July 1971, US National Security Advisor, Henry Kissinger, made a secret visit to China to meet top Chinese leaders. This inaugurated a new phase not just in US-China relations but in contemporary history. That visit and the subsequent US-China relationship, including the US decision to invest in China’s economic rise and admit it into the World Trade Organisation, combined to firm up the foundations of China’s rise as a world power. For more than four decades, the leadership of the two countries had a secretive pact, which worked well to each other’s benefit. The US helped power China’s economic growth in the hope that Beijing would turn a new political leaf and adopt Western practices (e.g. democracy). China grew economically and militarily, used its financial prowess to spread its influence across continents, as four generations of Chinese leaders built their nation at the expense of the US. Half a century after Kissinger’s historic visit, the US and China are today engaged in a trade war bordering on a new Cold War. Washington is not openly talking about “de-coupling” from China, which has begun to challenge its global dominance, but it might very well be. China has already established itself as a dominant power across Eurasia. More worryingly, China is militarily and economically threatening its neighbours, including Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Australia, Philippines, Indonesia and India. This collection of critical essays examines the impact, consequences and legacy of Kissinger’s first, door-opening visit to China and how it has shaped world order. Sanjaya Barusays, “Marking the 50th anniversary of the Nixon-Kissinger outreach to China, this unique collection of essays by eminent scholars and diplomats from around the world offers critical perspectives on America’s contribution to China’s rise and the origins of the New Cold War.” Rahul Sharma says, “Kissinger’s was a path-breaking visit, which changed the world forever. China’s rise is a reality that the world will continue to grapple with for a long time to come. The essays in this book attempt to analyse what prompted the Americans to open the doors to China, as well as the challenges that it has created for just about every nation today.” Swati Chopra, Executive Editorsays, “There is no doubt today of the impact that one man has had on the geopolitics of the past few decades – USA’s former National Security Advisor, Henry Kissinger. His contribution to the rise of China is perhaps a lesser known aspect of this, which is whatis about. With incisive essays from credible voices from around the globe,this is exactly the book that we need in order to understand the evolution of theUS-China relationship, its contribution to China’s rise, the consequences for China’s neighbourhood (including India), and why we might be on the verge of a ’new Cold War’.”