Peaceful War is an epic analysis of the unfolding drama between the clashing forces of the Chinese dream and American destiny. Just as the American experiment evolved, Deng Xiaoping's China has been using "Hamiltonian means to Jeffersonian ends" and borrowed the idea of the American Dream as a model for China's rise. The Chinese dream, as reinvented by President Xi Jinping, continues Deng's experiment into the twenty-first century. With a possible "fiscal cliff" in America and a "social cliff" in China, the author revisits the history of Sino-American relations to explore the prospects for a return to the long-forgotten Beijing-Washington love affair launched in the trade-for-peace era. President Barack Obama's Asia pivot strategy and the new Silk Road plan of President Xi could eventually create a pacific New World Order of peace and prosperity for all. The question is: will China ultimately evolve into a democratic nation by rewriting the American Dream in Chinese characters, and how might this transpire?
Industry Reviews
"A dazzling analysis, full of history, philosophy, ironic similarities and unusual distinctions, fears and hopes, but mostly dreams-the kind of dreams Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela dreamed. For that reason and more, Peaceful War is worth reading." -- Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, former chief of staff to U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell
"No international strategic relationship is more important or more consequential than that between the United States and China-now and as far as we can reasonably see into the future. . . . Anyone seeking a holistic understanding of the Sino-U.S. relationship-and where it might be heading-should read this book." -- CIA Director John McLaughlin, former acting director of the Central Intelligence Agency
"Luminously situated President Obama's Asia pivot . . . in a rich historical context . . . that is often lost in geopolitical writing." -- Senator Thomas Daschle, former U.S. Senate Majority Leader
"[This book] is a breakthrough that is powerful, inspiring, and visionary. . . . the world should read this book and heed Dr. Mendis' wise counsel." -- Professor Wang Dong, Peking University
"An innovative analysis that is wise, welcome, and timely." -- Dr. Wei Hongxia, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
"Meticulously researched, this unprecedented study of the evolving Sino-American relations is timely, levelheaded, and fair above all else." -- Harvard International Review
"Dr. Mendis brings all students of international relations into a long journey of rational soul searching." -- Professor Alexander Huang, Tamkang University
"The highest compliment a reader can give an author is to think: 'I wish I'd said that.' This imaginative and optimistic book provokes numerous responses of this sort. Mendis counsels historical awareness, cultural sensitivity, and humility as Americans peer across the Pacific to a China intent upon assuming its rightful place in the world. It's hard to think of better advice." -- Dr. Robert Hathaway, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
"An important book that changes the way we think about these two superpowers." -- Dr. Shiro Armstrong, Australian National University
"A naturalized U.S. citizen, Professor Patrick Mendis . . . is himself an authentic American message to Asia." -- Professor Tang Xiaosong, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies
"Innovative work . . . to elucidate some of the compelling internal challenges that lie ahead for the government and the people of China." -- Professor Eric Schwartz, dean of the Humphrey School, University of Minnesota and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State
"A keen analyst, a creative thinker, and a precise writer . . . to guide the Sino-American relationship." -- Ambassador Shaun Donnelly, vice president of the U.S. Council for International Business
"Unique perspective and wide-angled vision." -- Ambassador Jayantha Dhanapala, president of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs
"A delightful glimpse into the future." -- Professor Niu Meili, Sun Yat-sen University
"Engaging book." -- Dr. Parag Khanna, author of How to Run the World
"Mendis' book . . . both nations could learn to appreciate each other better." -- Professor Chuanjie Zhang, Tsinghua University
"An intriguing and fascinating study." -- Dr. Niklas Swanstroem, Director of the Institute for Security and Development Study, Stockholm
"This book is an important guide for broader policy dialogue among strategic thinkers in both Beijing and Washington." -- Edward Rhodes, dean of the School of Public Policy, George Mason University
"Another landmark work comparing Chinese and American national discourses and the future of their relations." -- Professor Shen Dingli, Fudan University
