China’s Path to Dominance:
Preparing for Confrontation with the United States
China’s Path to Dominance:
Preparing for Confrontation with the United States
By Dr. Derek Levine
Copyright 2025
384 pages
Published October 3, 2025
KeyPoint Press, Denver, Colorado
www.keypointpress.com
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979-8-9909158-9-3
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979-8-9925524-0-9
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979-8-9925524-1-6
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Is confrontation between the United States and China inevitable?
China's Path to Dominance is more than a historical analysis; it is an urgent warning and an essential guide. It offers a clear-eyed framework for understanding Beijing’s motives and provides concrete policy recommendations for how the United States can navigate the most significant geopolitical challenge of the 21st century.
“When U.S. Tuition Dollars Collide with National Security” (Gatestone Institute)
“America’s misplaced priorities risk ceding the century to China” (Asia Times)
“The dark reality behind Xi Jinping’s rise” (Washington Examiner)
“What’s really holding China back: Bribes, ‘guanxi,’ and the illusion of progress” (The Hill)
“Why China’s Fear of Failure Will Keep It Behind in the AI Race” (The Diplomat)
Recent Press
Description
Is confrontation between the United States and China inevitable?
Under Xi Jinping, China has abandoned its strategy of “biding time” and launched an assertive campaign to reclaim its status as a dominant global power. This meticulously researched book argues that Xi's regime has strategically positioned the United States as a “Useful Adversary”—a declining hegemon whose perceived failures, from the 2008 financial crisis to the COVID-19 pandemic, are used to legitimize China’s authoritarian model.
Tracing the U.S.-China relationship from the Hobbesian enmity of the Mao era to the pragmatic rivalry of today, author Derek Levine reveals how decades of economic growth and technology acquisition have emboldened Beijing. Now, through its aggressive “Wolf Warrior Diplomacy,” China is challenging the international order by militarizing the South China Sea and preparing for a potential reunification with Taiwan by as early as 2027.
Levine dissects Xi's internal consolidation of power—from the purge of millions of Party officials to the creation of an unprecedented mass surveillance state—as preparation for this looming crisis.
China's Path to Dominance is more than a historical analysis; it is an urgent warning and an essential guide. It offers a clear-eyed framework for understanding Beijing’s motives and provides concrete policy recommendations for how the United States can navigate the most significant geopolitical challenge of the 21st century.
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Acknowledgments | vii
Preface | ix
Introduction | 1
Chapter 1 | 19
Historical Foundations and Collective Identities
Chapter 2 | 47
The Mao Era: From Hobbesian Enmity to Limited Engagement
Chapter 3 | 95
Deng Xiaoping’s Reforms: Opening China
and Managing Internal Challenges
Chapter 4 | 141
Navigating Global Integration: The Jiang and Hu Eras
Chapter 5 | 185
Xi Jinping’s Ascent: Consolidating Power and Asserting Global Ambitions
Chapter 6 | 233
The China Challenge: Strategic Implications for the United States
Conclusion | 277
Endnotes | 311
Author Bio | 369
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Dr. Derek Levine, one of today’s most authoritative voices on geopolitics, specializing in U.S.-China relations, instills confidence in his audience with his extensive experience and expertise. As a full-time professor at Monroe University and the King Graduate School, and having taught at premier institutions across the United States and internationally, he challenges students and scholars to examine and challenge dominant narratives critically.
A former senior analyst at the Center for Terrorism and Intelligence Studies and the Akribis Group, Dr. Levine remains deeply engaged in the intellectual landscape as an editor and peer reviewer of leading academic journals and publishers. He is also a sought-after speaker at conferences, think tanks, and global policy forums.Dr. Levine earned his PhD from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver. With a background spanning academia, journalism, and high-level research, he brings decades of insight into global affairs. Fluent in Mandarin and having lived, worked, and studied extensively in China, he offers a unique firsthand understanding of the strategic, political, and cultural forces shaping the U.S.-China relationship.
He is the acclaimed author of The Dragon Takes Flight: China's Aviation Policy, Achievements, and Implications for the United States and Europe. His second book, China’s Path to Dominance: Preparing for Confrontation with the United States, situates current events within a historical context.
Dr. Levine’s research has been published in top-tier journals, including the Journal of Contemporary China, American Journal of China Studies, and the Journal of Strategic Security. His analysis and commentary have also been featured in major international outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, The Guardian, The Hill, The Diplomat, The National Review, the BBC, Asia Times, and MSNBC.
In an era when many institutions prioritize funding over facts and intellectual conformity over critique, Dr. Levine stands as a beacon of unwavering commitment to truth and independent inquiry, providing reassurance to his audience.
Whether on the page, in the classroom, or on the global stage, Dr. Derek Levine delivers bold, unflinching analyses that challenge and reshape our understanding of power, conflict, and the future of international relations, stimulating and challenging his audience.
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Praise for China’s Path to Dominance
“Timely, insightful, and necessary. Levine expertly traces China’s evolving relationship with the West, resulting in a work that is both theoretically rich and remarkably accessible. China’s Path to Dominance is a critical resource for understanding the most consequential geopolitical dynamic of our time. A must-read.”
—Garrett Martin, Foreign Affairs Officer (United States)
“An excellent and timely analysis for anyone trying to comprehend the most consequential geopolitical showdown of our lifetime.”
—Khyati Singh, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (India)
“The United States is facing a perfect storm with China as a rival. Dr. Levine’s work is a must-read for scholars and practitioners seeking a thorough perspective on the PRC’s strategy to supplant the United States as the world’s sole superpower.”
—John Weaver, Ph.D., Professor of Intelligence Analysis, York College of Pennsylvania (United States)
“Meticulously researched, this book charts China’s audacious rise and proposes a bold U.S. foreign policy response. By blending expert interviews with bilingual sources, Levine offers actionable insights into one of the 21st century’s defining rivalries.”
—Anubhav Shankar Goswami, Murdoch University (Australia)
“Derek Levine masterfully explains the past, present, and future of the most important bilateral relationship of the 21st century. Essential reading for anyone interested in geopolitics, U.S.-China relations, or the future of the international order.”
—Ciwan M. Can, Ph.D., Senior Geopolitical Advisor, Hyperion Strategic Advisors (Norway)
“A well-researched and comprehensive contribution to the study of U.S.-China relations. Students and scholars will benefit immensely from its balanced and insightful analysis.”
—Dr. Jyoti Singh, Ph.D., Maharshi Dayanand University (India)
“An insightful historical review that provides a deep and essential understanding of China’s trajectory in the international arena.”
—Shang-Su Wu, Ph.D., Rabdan Academy (Abu Dhabi)