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Origins of American Empire in the Asia-Pacific Region

On this episode of American Prestige, Stuart Rollo discusses the US’s imperial evolution alongside China’s parallel trajectory.

Derek Davison and Daniel Bessner

May 28, 2024

Terminus: Westward Expansion, China, and the End of American Empire.(Johns Hopkins University Press)

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Origins of American Empire in the Asia-Pacific Region with Stuart Rollo | American Prestige
byThe Nation Magazine

We all know about the United States’ deep commercial ties with China in this day and age, but has this been the case since America’s inception?

On this episode of American Prestige, hosts Danny and Derek are joined by Stuart Rollo, postdoctoral research fellow at the Centre for International Security Studies at the University of Sydney, for a discussion of his book Terminus: Westward Expansion, China, and the End of American Empire. The group examines the United States’ imperial evolution alongside China’s parallel trajectory, considering the (sometimes oblique) role of China in major US conflicts, domestic Chinese milestones’ effect on the US-China dynamic, the watershed change in their trade relations in the 1970s, and how America is trying to manage its current imperial decline.

Note: Stuart was unfortunately ill with Covid when recording this episode, but said that the show must go on!

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We all know about the United States’ deep commercial ties with China in this day and age, but has this been the case since America’s inception? On this episode of American Prestige, we’re joined by Stuart Rollo, postdoctoral research fellow at the Centre for International Security Studies at the University of Sydney, for a discussion of his book Terminus: Westward Expansion, China, and the End of American Empire. The group examines the United States’ imperial evolution alongside China’s parallel trajectory, considering the (sometimes oblique) role of China in major US conflicts, domestic Chinese milestones’ effect on the US-China relationship, the watershed change in their economic dynamic in the 1970s, and how America is trying to manage its current imperial decline.

Note: Stuart was unfortunately ill with Covid when recording this episode, but said that the show must go on!

The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

US-Iran Ceasefire Collapses, Hamas Dissolves Gaza Government, Sudan’s El-Obeid Braces for RSF Assault / American Prestige
byThe Nation Magazine

Danny and Derek’s FIFA officiating careers have been tragically cut short since Javier Milei’s checks started bouncing. In this week’s news: the NATO summit ends on a high note (4:46); in Iran, new fighting erupts as Trump declares the end of the ceasefire (11:59), plus estimates of the war’s cost increase (16:45); in Gaza, Hamas dissolves its government (18:15) as the Board of Peace prepares a “humanitarian zone” (20:29); Trump appears ready to sell Turkey F-35s (23:40); Syria is officially removed from the state sponsors of terrorism list (27:54); in Sudan, civilians flee fighting in El Obeid (29:32); rebels coordinate a new joint offensive in Mali (32:59); the U.S. licenses domestic Patriot missile production in Ukraine (34:17); Roberto Sanchez concedes the Peruvian presidential election (38:07); Colombia’s presidential transition breaks down (39:01); and the U.S. drops the “Indo-Pacific” construct (40:07), prompting strategic discussions on the future of America’s position in the Pacific (43:25).

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Derek DavisonDerek Davison is a writer and analyst specializing in international affairs and US foreign policy. He is the publisher of the Foreign Exchanges newsletter, cohost of the American Prestige podcast, and former editor of LobeLog.


Daniel BessnerTwitterDaniel Bessner is an historian of US foreign relations, and cohost of American Prestige, a podcast on international affairs.


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