Clash of powers: US-China rivalry in global trade governance

The US-China trade war instigated by President Trump has thrown the multilateral trading system into a crisis.

Drawing on vast interview and documentary materials, Hopewell shows how US-China conflict had already paralyzed the system of international rules and institutions governing trade.

The China Paradox - the fact that China is both a developing country and an economic powerhouse - creates significant challenges for global trade governance and rule-making.

While China demands exemptions from global trade disciplines as a developing country, the US refuses to extend special treatment to its rival.

The implications of this conflict extend far beyond trade, impeding pro-development and pro-environment reforms of the global trading system.

As one of the first analyses of the implications of US-China rivalry for the governance of global trade, this book is crucial to our understanding of China's impact on the global trading system and on the liberal international economic order.