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Its Main Concern Is The Accumulation Of Power And It Will Not Be Satisfied As ...

Its main concern is the accumulation of power and it will not be satisfied as purported by Waltz' defensive realist view, by only seeking to acquire as much power so as to feel secure. (Baylis & Smith 2005 p. 169-170).
A world dominated by China may be very different than the present world that has for the last two centuries been dominated by a western power. As already mentioned China's rise will not result in it being a status quo power and therefore it will not be happy to work within a system determined by western values. (Guardian 2005 p. 2). China has different values to that of the west and its rise will lead to the promotion of those values through its economic, military and institutional power. Therefore as Huntingdon notes, the new fault-lines will not be between ideologies like the two World Wars and the Cold War but between civilizations. This is due to the different views that cultures have in regard to relationships such as the citizen and the state, husband and wife, liberty and equality. (Huntingdon 1993 p. 25). The west has promoted its values of liberalism as being the universal values of the world community. But due to the anarchic structure of the system these values have been used to promote its national interest. China will appeal to those states who have a different view of the world that the one being put forward by the US and other western states. These states will have similar cultural values to China which stress the subordination of individual rights and elevate consensus differ from the western beliefs of liberty, equality and individualism. (Huntingdon 1993 p. 29). Indeed China is forging links with states that the US deems as rogue states such as Iran with its recent gas deal worth $100 billion. The US has imposed economic sanctions on Iran and this gas deal is a clear sign that China does not intend to work within a system determined by the US.Further, Iran is looking to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) which could act as a counterweight to US institutional power. (Asia Times 2004 p. 1-2).
The writer will look at China's potential superpower status using the neo-realist theory and its conceptual and methodological framework. This will entail the use of secondary research methods by exploring the concepts of neo-realism through the scholars in this field. This theory rose to prominence during the late 1970s due to the writings of Kenneth Waltz. (Buzan in Zalewski 2002 p. 49). It rests on the earlier realist perspective of writers such as E H Carr and Hans Morgenthau, which was dominant in international relations in the post World War II era. Realism also rose due to the inability of the liberal perspective and its principles to maintain peace in Europe. (Burchill, 2001 p. 71). It was concerned with the causes of war and ways in which it can be prevented. (Buzan in Zalewski 2002 p. 48).


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