Bringing together eminent International Relations (IR) scholars from China and the West, this book examines moral realism from a range of different perspectives. Through its analyses, it verifies the robustness of moral realism in IR theory.

1. Interstate Leadership, Moral Realism, and Its Critiques - Yan Xuetong and Fang Yuanyuan 2. IR Moral Realism as A Universal Theory - Yan Xuetong 3. Moral Realism as An Alternative Approach to Agent-Structure Problem - Fang Yuanyuan 4. Prospects, Promise, and Limitations of Moral Realism - Wang Qingxin 5. Ideal Morality and Realist Interest of Moral Realism - Kai He 6. The Conception of Morality in Moral Realism - Feng Zhang 7. Moral Realism and Hegemonic Transition - Athanasios Platias and Vasilis Trigkas 8. Innovation of Moral Realism and Dialogue with It - Mario Telò 9. Moral Realism and Sino-American Relations - Deborah Welch Larson 10. Moral Realism on Interstate Leadership in Response to Critics - Yan Xuetong Appendix 1: Pen Discussion Between Rajesh Rajagopalan and Yan Xuetong Appendix 2: “Chinese School” as An Inappropriate Title

“In this era of US–China rivalry, an important reminder that leadership – of both rising and ruling powers – can be the difference between coexistence and codestruction.” Graham Allison, Harvard Kennedy School

• Includes contributions from a wide range of scholars in Asia, Europe, North America and Australasia; • Aims to solidify moral realism as the theory of International Relations through a robust compilation of critiques, analyses and explorations from eminent scholars in the field.