China still has a long way to go

Abstract

In the latest edition of Foreign Policy magazine, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reaffirmed America's intention to “pivot” from the Middle East to Asia through “increased investment—diplomatic, economic, strategic, and otherwise.” Part of this is to signal to Americans, and reassure regional allies, that Washington will no longer stand by while China eats America's lunch in Asia. John Lee, Michael Hintze Fellow for Energy Security at the Centre for International Security Studies, University of Sydney, explains that while it is true that Beijing is actively attempting to gradually dilute America's influence in what it sees as its own backyard, the perception of significant Chinese gains in strategic influence at America's expense does not actually accord with current reality.