Reading · Summer 2026 Reading from MIT

Culture, humanities & social science

Retrench, Defend, Compete: Securing America's Future Against a Rising China

By Charles L. Glaser, senior fellow in the MIT Security Studies Program

Cornell University Press · 2025

Many believe China's ascent will drive it to war with the United States. Yet this is far from inevitable; geography and nuclear weapons should ensure U.S. security. The real danger, Glaser contends, lies in East Asia's territorial disputes, especially over Taiwan. To reduce the risk of war, Glaser makes a bold case for ending U.S. security commitments to Taiwan and carefully calibrating its policies on protecting South China Sea maritime features.

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