Is a US-China Thucydides Trap Unavoidable? With David C. Kang from the ChinaTalk Podcast

In this crossover episode from the China Talk podcast, Nathan Labenz shares a thought-provoking conversation between Jordan Schneider, Ilari Michaela, and Professor David C. Kang that challenges conventional Western perspectives on East Asian international relations. Professor Kang argues that studying East Asian history on its own terms reveals a remarkably stable geopolitical system spanning nearly a millennium, where China maintained regional dominance without conquest through compatible cultures and mutual understanding. This alternative framework offers valuable insights that question the seemingly inevitable US-China competition narrative dominating AI discourse, suggesting that internal challenges may be more significant than external threats for both China and the United States.

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CHAPTERS:

(00:00) About the Episode

(03:30) Introduction to East Asian Relations

(04:41) Internal vs External Challenges

(07:05) Song Dynasty's Fall

(13:35) Western vs Eastern Frontiers

(19:06) Shared Cultural Understanding (Part 1)

(20:30) Sponsors: Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) | Shopify

(23:45) Shared Cultural Understanding (Part 2)

(25:57) Vietnam-China Relations

(30:08) Korea's Diplomatic Strategy (Part 1)

(32:19) Sponsors: NetSuite

(33:52) Korea's Diplomatic Strategy (Part 2)

(35:17) The Imjin War

(43:36) Thucydides Trap Question

(49:19) Power Transition Theory Debate

(53:49) Expansion and Frontiers

(01:02:00) Modern Implications

(01:06:00) PRC and Imperial Legacy

(01:13:16) Taiwan and Modern Challenges

(01:25:42) US Role in East Asia

(01:29:35) Concluding Thoughts

(01:37:17) Outro