China and the West: Hope and Fear in the Age of Asia

It's called conventional wisdom for a reason. Prevailing narratives have a gravitational force that can end up framing every discussion, regardless of how thoughtful and open-minded the participants. Regarding China, the prevailing narratives are essentially the Sino-American ones, only slightly leavened by input from Britain and Australia. These narratives are – not entirely unreasonably – largely concerned with and informed by the question as to whether and when China will overtake the United States, commercially or militarily. This is a suitably significant and all-pervading question, but when discussed by those party to it, the conversation runs the danger of becoming self-referential.