Time and the Rise of China

Abstract

How do various temporal dynamics affect international politics? Time has been gaining more attention in recent years in the literature on politics, generally, and international relations, more specifically, but no effort has been made systematically to apply these insights to the case of power transitions. This article explores how four different factors-time horizons, timing, sequencing, and trajectories-influence the way that states behave, specifically in the context of power transitions. Each of these dynamics contributes to a richer understanding of the nature of great power cooperation and competition. For each of these four dynamics, the article lays out the logic of what each uniquely adds to the existing literature on power transitions and then demonstrates the logic by drawing on the historical record of power transitions. Then, the article examines a variety of factors at the individual, state, and systemic level that might influence how each of these temporal dynamics unfolds. Throughout, the article comments on implications of the argument for contemporary relations between the United States and China.