Examining US-China-Russia Foreign Relations: Power Relations in a Post-Obama Era

Examining US-China-Russia Foreign Relations explores the changing nature and function of the US–China–Russia strategic triangle from the end of the Cold War up to the present. Gregory Hall uses neoclassical realist international relations (IR) theory to argue that, since the mid-2000s, the politics of the strategic triangle have been increasingly influenced by factors related to the Big3 countries’ respective domestic environments. Hall utilizes agency and context for each of the three great powers, expanding on previously established frameworks to include a comparative analysis of each actor’s domestic environment for foreign policy and the interplay between the domestic and external contexts. In IR terms, the book identifies and illustrates how factors including systemic, state and societal, individuals, and small groups influence the foreign relations of the Big3. Hall concludes by exploring the future prospects for great power relations and for global affairs. Incorporating both theoretical and empirical data to offer a fresh and timely look at the myriad challenges facing the three powers, this book provides an excellent companion to students of foreign policy, international security, and post-Cold War international politics.

Table of Contents:
Part 1: IR Theory and the Ongoing Scramble for Contemporary Relevance 1. Realism Rerouted? IR Theory and the Strategic Triangle Concept 2. Kings of the East and the Evolving World Order 3. US Foreign Policy and Trumpworld Part 2: Triangles, Webs, and the Post-Cold War International Order 4. Trapped in a Triangle? 5. Reconsidering Agency and Context in the Foreign Affairs of the Great Powers 6. A New Model for Understanding Epochal Great Power Politics in The Early-Twenty-First Century 7. Ukraine: Fault Line in the New East-West Conflict? Part 3: As the Post-Cold War World Turns… 8. Conclusion

About the Author :
Gregory O. Hall is Associate Professor in the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce at the University of Kentucky. His primary areas of teaching and research include international relations, international security, foreign policy, Global South affairs, international political economy, and Eurasian affairs. Dr Hall has held appointments at institutions both in the United States and abroad, the latter including Hong Kong and Turkey.

Review :
"A masterful account of the global landscape defined by the U.S., China, and Russia. Standing at the intersection of International Relations theory and the study of foreign policy, Examining US-China-Russia Foreign Relations weaves together the domestic and international settings that shape the past, present, and future of great power conflict." Dina Badie, Frank B. and Virginia B. Hower Associate Professor of Politics and International Studies, Centre College "Much of official Washington has embraced a model of "great power competition" that pits the United States against both China and Russia. But great power conflict need not be inevitable. This book illuminates the interplay of politics and national interests in and around regional crises, which is key to preventing escalation." Matthew Rojansky, President & CEO, U.S. Russia Foundation, Distinguished Fellow, Kennan Institute (Wilson Center) "An impressive and commendable attempt to combine a rigorous academic methodology and personal reflections on the rapidly changing pattern of US-Russia-China relations. The book is a must-read for everybody interested in the future architecture of international relations and in the emerging challenges to global governance." Dr. Andrey Kortunov, Director General, Russian International Affairs Council "This book is a timely, insightful, and thought-provoking study of contemporary international politics dominated by the relationships between and among the Big3. It is a solid and fascinating study situated at the intersection of international relations and foreign policy analysis. Theoretically rich and analytically rigorous, the book has significant policy implications today. It is highly recommended to students and scholars of international politics or anyone who is interested in understanding why our world today remains so problematic." Zhiqun Zhu, Pacific Affairs