| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 國家發展研究所 === 101 === The rising China has been widely viewed as the most important actor with
far-reaching consequences upon the post-Cold War international system since the
collapse of the Soviet Union. Geopolitical competitions between the incumbent
hegemon—the United States and the rising China are now closed watched not only by
policy-makers but also by International Relations theorists. At the center of the debate
is about the strategic gesture of Washington and Beijing towards each other. In short,
the core issue concerns offensive / defensive options the two countries may choose to
deal with the other.
Given the implementation of Washington’s strategy of “Rebalancing”, this
thesis hypothesizes that the US would adopt “offensive” rather than “defensive”
measures to offset China’s growing influences in the sub-continent of South Asia. It
proposed empirical indicators to test to what extent Washington’s strategies towards
India, Pakistan, and Myanmar from 2008 onward were “offensive” in nature, aiming
at diluting China’s influences, checking China’s power and eventually establish a
pro-US geopolitical sphere ensuring Washington’s supremacy.
After carful studies based on empirical evidence, the offensive realist
assumptions are basically verified. It further indicates that China’s expanding
economic policy tools paradoxically invited Washington’s massive, all-round
engagement in the region. Eventually the only reliable partner benefited from China’s
clout and aids is Pakistan. Through “offensive” measures the US has regained its
pivotal role which China can hardly compete.
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