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Sept. 22, 2025

Book Review: Upstart: How China Became a Great Power

Cover for Upstart: How China Became a Great Power
China |

Author: Oriana Skylar Mastro

| Reviewed by Lieutenant Colonel Kelly R. M. Ihme, PhD, General Hoyt S. Vandenberg Chair of Aerospace Studies and assistant professor, Department of Distance Education, US Army War College
 
Upstart: How China Became a Great Power, by Oriana Skylar Mastro, tracks China’s transition from a minor regional influence in the 1990s to a global power. The author developed and used the Upstart Strategy, which examines emulation, exploitation, and entrepreneurship, to offer predictive modeling that political and military leaders can use to anticipate China’s future trajectory. Reviewer Kelly Ihme applauds the specific and actionable recommendations for America and its allies.  
 

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Keywords: instruments of power, China, grand strategy, foreign policy, great-power competition