China: Assessing Dissatisfaction with the Status Quo in the 21st Century.

The rapid ascent of China to great power status has caused much concern among politicians and academics alike. The prospect that China may eventually attain parity with the United States dramatically increases the likelihood of security challenges between itself and the West. There has been a great deal of attention given to this issue by policy analysts and media outlets; however, the rise of China has not received commensurate attention in the international relations literature. Power Transition Theory posits that states require not only the capability, but the willingness to overtake the system leader. While China’s ability to surpass the US is a possibility, our understanding of its willingness to take on systemic leadership is relatively indeterminate. In this analysis, we employ Power Transition Theory in order to address the following questions: is China dissatisfied with the status quo and, if so, will it be willing to assume the role of dominant power? Our paper attempts to answer these questions using conventional measures as well as participation in regional and supra-regional structures. In doing so, we hope to gauge China’s dissatisfaction with the status quo and its potential willingness to advance its preferences in the international arena. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]