This book provides a comprehensive analysis of Trump's foreign policy, including detailed case studies of policy toward key countries. Mel Gurtov makes a vigorous argument, centered on human-interest priorities, for rejecting a foreign policy that turns its back on the major issues of our times.
Focusing on diplomacy, the book offers insights into how conflicting parties in international relations can move beyond their differences toward peaceful collaboration. It emphasizes the importance of mutual respect, the significance of symbols, and the effectiveness of incentives over sanctions in fostering understanding and cooperation. Through practical lessons, it guides readers on building productive relationships amid global tensions.
Emphasizing human and environmental security, Mel Gurtov challenges traditional power politics in the Asia-Pacific region. He critiques common beliefs like the China threat and U.S.-centric power dynamics, advocating for a cooperative security framework that prioritizes basic human needs and respects Asian nationalism. The book offers insightful analyses of security policies from the U.S., China, Japan, the Koreas, and ASEAN countries, making it a valuable resource for policymakers, scholars, and students interested in contemporary security issues.
Critics of China are addressed through an exploration of various concerns, including human rights and maritime access. The author advocates for a strategy of coexistence that balances economic and technological competition with diplomatic management of tensions. Combining a broad perspective with a concise format, the work is both realistic and value-driven, supported by extensive references to scholarly literature, including insights from prominent Chinese scholars. The book aims to foster a viable relationship between the two global powers.
This groundbreaking book explores how adversaries in world politics can surmount their differences and disputes and start on the path to peaceful, mutually productive relations. Writing with authority and clarity, Mel Gurtov defines the strategy of deep engagement, examines how it progressed under President Obama with Cuba and Iran, and probes its potential for US-Russian and US-North Korean relations and other critical hotspots. At the core of the book are case studies that highlight the strategy and practice of engagement in both successful and failed efforts. Showing that domestic political obstacles turn out to be more formidable than strategic interests when national leaders seek to engage adversaries, Gurtov draws lessons for diplomacy in ways to engage, such as practicing mutual respect, paying attention to symbols, and using incentives rather than sanctions. At a time when use of force remains the main way governments pursue their interests, Engaging Enemies is a timely appeal to diplomacy and a reminder that a multitude of ways exist for adversaries to find common ground.