Books by Steve Chan

The idea of "Thucydides' Trap" warns that all rising powers threaten established powers. As China increases its power relative to the US, the theory argues, the two nations are inevitably set on a collision course. But how enlightening is an analogy based on the ancient Greek world for understanding contemporary international relations?

By drawing on alternative theoretic approaches-most especially "balance-of-threat" theory, political economic theory, and theories surrounding regime survival in multilateral rather than bilateral contexts Steve Chan is able to create an explanation of what is in motion in the region that differs widely from the traditional "strategic vision" of national interest.

The authors use the developmental history of Taiwan to examine key formulations of domestic and international economic development.