Reluctant Stakeholder: Why China’s Highly Strategic Brand of Revisionism Is More Challenging Than Washington Thinks

Abstract

As a former policymaker, Evan Feigenbaum has actively participated in shaping China’s policy and maintains a long lens on the issues that currently preoccupy Washington. In a twist on “responsible stakeholder,” Feigenbaum in this chapter revisits a fundamental question in understanding China’s geopolitical posture: is China a revisionist power? Feigenbaum argues that Beijing is best viewed as a “reluctant stakeholder” rather than a rule breaker bent on resetting the global order wholesale. However, even if Beijing will never become a full-fledged champion of the US-led order, its leaders seem to recognize how the current system has served its interests, and more so than they like to publicly admit. Capturing these nuances in Beijing’s worldview matters in how the United States responds to these new challenges.