Nationalism, imperialism and Sino-American relations: V. K. Wellington Koo and China's quest for international autonomy and power, 1912-1949

This is a study of one of China's most nationalistic diplomats, V. K. Wellington Koo, who came of age in a country weakened by imperialistic treaties and which had failed to use military power to revise those treaties. Instead of using force to overthrow the imperialist system, Koo relied on diplomacy. Diplomacy was the only option because China was too weak militarily to put itself on a more equal footing vis-a-vis the imperialist powers. To throw off the shackles of imperialism, Koo turned to international law, arbitration, negotiation, international courts, conferences and organizations, in short to any means of securing new, equal treaties with the powers and winning recognition of China as a "civilized" member of international society and eliminate the humiliation that he and other Chinese suffered.;Another important dimension to Koo's career of defeating imperialism was his reliance on the United States. Koo initially viewed the United States as a true friend in the Hobbesian world of international politics. A believer in the notion that a "special relationship" existed between China and America, Koo time and again looked to America for assistance in eliminating the unequal treaty system and fending off Japanese and Russian expansion into China. To say that Koo looked to America is not to suggest that Koo was a lackey of Washington who would always follow the bidding of the Americans. Koo was always a Chinese first. Koo simply attempted to manipulate the United States into using its power to attain his nationalistic goals and prevent China's break-up at the hands of the imperialists.