Retrench, Defend, Compete - (Cornell Studies in Security Affairs) by Charles L Glaser

About the Book

"This book analyzes the key issues that the United States must address in adapting its national security policy to China's rise, including grand strategy, Taiwan, the South China Sea, and US conventional and nuclear strategy. It addresses these issues by applying a range of international relations theories, including defensive realism"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

In Retrench, Defend, Compete, Charles L. Glaser advances a thought-provoking strategy for securing vital US interests in the face of China's rise.

Many believe China's ascent will drive it to war with the United States. Yet this is far from inevitable; geography and nuclear weapons should ensure US security. The real danger, Glaser contends, lies in East Asia's territorial disputes, especially over Taiwan. To reduce the risk of war, Glaser makes a bold case for ending US security commitments to Taiwan and carefully calibrating its policies on protecting South China Sea maritime features. The United States should also strengthen its alliances with Japan and South Korea and eliminate unnecessarily provocative nuclear and conventional weapons policies. These measures, Glaser argues, would defuse China's biggest security concerns while preserving America's core strategic interests.

Fusing theoretical insights with policy analysis, Retrench, Defend, Compete lays out a distinctive and compelling approach for managing the world's most consequential geopolitical rivalry--before it's too late.

About the Author

Charles L. Glaser is a Senior Fellow in the Security Studies Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Professor Emeritus of Political Science and International Affairs at George Washington University.