Restraining China: Limits and potential of US alliances

Abstract

The system of alliances is the only element of US power that has not diminished in relative terms throughout the past decades of China's rise. The gap has narrowed between the hegemonic power and the rising power in the economic, technological, and military fields. However, the recent attempts of the United States to use it to counter Chinás growing international influence have yielded mixed results. This article contends the United States is more successful in shaping the responses of its allies when it employs proactive strategies rather than passive responses.