Director: Paul B. Stares, General John W. Vessey Senior Fellow for Conflict Prevention and Director of the Center for Preventive Action
Last Updated: September 16, 2011
In comparison to the more familiar sources of friction in U.S.-China relations—notably Taiwan and Tibet—surprisingly little attention has been given to how developments along China's unstable periphery could strain and even potentially cause a serious rupture in bilateral relations. Certainly, there has been no systematic effort to examine and compare the most likely cases or to consider how the latent risks can be lessened. As a general observation, scholars and analysts in both countries tend to focus on specific subregions rather than engage in crossregional comparative assessments. With the goal of encouraging a broader assessment of potential sources of friction in U.S-China relations and how they might be mitigated, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) embarked on this study, "Managing Instability on China's Periphery." Each paper considers current sources of instability, potential crisis triggers, U.S. and Chinese interests—where they converge and diverge—and policy options for preventing a major crisis and mitigating the consequences.
This collection of Asia Security Memoranda was made possible with the generous support of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation's Asia Security Initiative.
Read the individual essays below.
Overview (PDF)
by Paul B. Stares, General John W. Vessey Senior Fellow for Conflict Prevention and Director of the Center for Preventive Action
Instability in North Korea and Its Impact on U.S.-China Relations (PDF)
by Scott A. Snyder, Senior Fellow for Korea Studies and Director of the Program on U.S.-Korea Policy
Myanmar: Sources of Instability and Potential for U.S.-China Cooperation (PDF)
by Joshua Kurlantzick, Fellow for Southeast Asia
Pakistan Contingencies (PDF)
by Daniel Markey, Senior Fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia
Central Asia Contingencies (PDF)
by Evan A. Feigenbaum, Adjunct Senior Fellow for East, Central, and South Asia
For more conflict prevention analysis, visit CFR's Center for Preventive Action.
Enhancing U.S. Preventive Action
In this CSR, coauthored by Paul B. Stares and Micah Zenko sponsored by the Center for Preventive Action, evaluates the U.S. system for foreseeing and heading off crises and assesses in detail current U.S. practices with regard to different types of preventive action. More
Somalia: A New Approach
This report, authored by Bronwyn E. Bruton and sponsored by the Center for Preventive Action, argues that the current U.S. policy of supporting the TFG is unlikely to succeed and ineffective foreign meddling threatens to prolong and worsen the conflict. Instead, the United States should pursue a strategy of "constructive disengagement" while still maintaining support for localized development initiatives and humanitarian assistance. More
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