Crossroads of Innovation China and the West since the Ancient World

This book examines the long-run dialectical interaction between innovation in China and the West, including the hydraulic era, the fossil fuel era, and the era of electrification and information technology.

The path of innovation over the long-run was shaped heavily by the contrasting geo-political environment in China and the West. Over most of its history the West engaged in fierce 'zero-sum' internal conflict, with a powerful cultural drive for international conquest and domination. This drive was extended to the non-western world as soon as the technological means became available. China was mostly united and peaceful, trying to find a 'middle way' and resolve contradictions through 'positive-sum' solutions. It focussed upon governing China itself rather than pursuing international conquests. The contrasting path of innovation in China and the West assumes great importance today as the human species confronts existential threats to its existence.

This book argues that in order to build a sustainable future for the whole human species the Global North needs to move beyond zero-sum thinking and cooperate with China in the pursuit of peaceful innovation to overcome the multiple challenges facing the whole human species. It will be a valuable resource for scholars of international relations, politics and economics.