David C. Kang

Jordan Schneider × Ilari Michaela × David C. Kang

David C.Kang argues that East Asian transitions usually followed internal decay or rebellion rather than wars between rising and declining powers, challenging the assumption that a US-China Thucydides trap is the baseline.Shared Chinese-derived institutions made hierarchy legible and helped sustain regional stability, while Taiwan remains the decisive stress test as imperial ambiguity collides with Westphalian statehood and uncertain US willingness to intervene against a nuclear power.