US-Japan-China in a Liberal World Order: A Constructivist Approach to Analyze the US Trade War Against the Two
Keywords:
Ideology, Trade War, Incompatibility, Constructivist, Perception, Foreign PolicyAbstract
, Dr. Hamid Iqbal and Imran Khan
Abstract
The ideological compatibility facilitates the conflict resolution mechanism. This motif is dominant in the United States' relations with Japan. After WWII, Japan's aggressive tendencies were assuaged by its integration into the international arena. The integration transformed Japan's domestic political and economic systems to conform to the norms and values of the international liberal order. In return, it was given certain concessions, especially when it came to its trade war with America in the 1980s. On the other side, China, which has been declared a threat to America’s national security, faces hostility and aggression from America. China's threat to US national security is guided by the ideological incompatibility between China and the United States. The constructivist approach is used in this paper to understand how the ideological paradigm differently informs US perceptions and foreign policy contours towards China and Japan in similar geopolitical settings.
