Assess this statement: ‘If you think like a realist…. you’ll understand why China’s rise is a critical event and likely to be a source of conflict with the United States (and others).’ (Walt, Stephen, “The World Wants you to Think Like a Realist,” Foreign Policy, May 30, 2018

Referencing: Chicago 16 Footnote style

Content and structure:

The essay should examine Walt’s statement through the lens of realism, and more specifically through prominent subgroups of realism. In order to reflect that whichever type of realist one might be, China’s rise is a critical event. Whether it is likely to be a source of conflict with the United States and others depends on which subgroup of realism one aligns with.

The first section of the essay should cover the following subgroups of realism:

– Classical realism.
– Defensive structural realism.
– Offensive structural realism.
– Neoclassical realism.
– Rise and fall realism.

The second section of the essay should explore China’s Grand Strategy and how the pathway towards achieving their strategic objectives might be a source of conflict as well as of increased security competition with the United States and others.

The third section should briefly highlight how the competition between China and the U.S. would reinforce the security dilemma, a term coined by John Herz.

The final section will be the conclusion.