As the global balance of power shifts, the US-China relationship stands at the heart of the world’s most pressing geopolitical questions. This book offers a fresh lens for understanding that relationship, spanning the dramatic arc from 1945 to 2020. Moving beyond the usual power-based explanations, it applies Role Theory to reveal how national self-conceptions—how leaders see their country’s place in the world—shape both cooperation, conflict and order. From the battlefields of Korea to Nixon’s historic handshake in Beijing, from post-Cold War accommodation to today’s mounting tensions, the book uncovers the role-driven logic behind decades of US-China interactions. Drawing on leaders’ speeches and diplomatic exchanges, it highlights how domestic politics, regime type, and security ideas mould each nation’s role on the global stage. Richly researched and sharply argued, this volume is essential reading for scholars, students, and policymakers seeking to grasp the forces redefining the Indo-Pacific order.
