Bakare presents a critical yet divergent views of American and Chinese exceptionalism that problematizes the contextual nexus between exceptionalism and soft power as a form of diplomacy. It also dissects the normative, structural, intellectual, and material content of American and Chinese exceptionalism to make sense of the regional and global implications of the two forms of exceptionalism.

The book provides a broad overview of American foreign policy, while exposing the embedded exceptionalism in its foreign policy and addresses the consequences of American exceptionalism vis-à-vis its foreign relations, such as in its US-India relations, US-Turkey relations, US-Africa relations, US-South America relations, US-Middle East relations, and its post-9/11 and War on Terror doctrine. It also takes an epistemological examination of the praxis of Chinese ‘exceptionalism’, assessing China’s claim to global hegemony, Chinese soft power diplomacy, global developmental projects as form of its own exceptionalism. Hence, it also examines Chinese exceptionalism through the lens of China’s relations with the rest of the world.

A timely and insightful read for scholars and researchers in International Relations, Global Studies, and Area Studies as well as students, think tanks, diplomats and international relations experts, who seek to have theoretical and empirical analysis on two variants – competing American and Chinese exceptionalism.