Economic Consequences of China’s Slowdown

November 16, 2015

Perhaps the most popular term used among strategic analysts in the past year is “Thucydides trap”—the notion that a rising power and the incumbent power are destined for war—because of the growing rivalry between the United States and China. The worry is that as China’s economy continues to grow, China will gain the means and confidence to challenge American military primacy and influence in Asia. From this perspective, China’s recent economic slowdown is viewed as helpful in putting off the day of reckoning.