“A Rather Climactic Period”: The Sino–Soviet Dispute and Perceptions of the China Threat in the Kennedy Administration

Abstract

From the late 1950s, American officials moved toward a proper appreciation of tensions in the Sino–Soviet alliance. However, prior to Autumn 1962 uncertainty remained in Washington over Beijing's willingness to break with the Kremlin in pursuit of its ideological objectives and national ambitions. This article demonstrates how the Sino–Indian border war in November 1962 and Beijing's response to the Cuban Missile Crisis shaped American understandings of the Sino–Soviet dispute and the China threat. Following developments in Autumn 1962 officials in the Kennedy Administration found cause to believe that China was not only the more militant of the two communist powers, but also that it was the more dangerous. This shift in threat perception had a significant impact on the US national security discourse, reinforcing the conviction of senior officials in Washington that the containment of China required a continued policy of non-engagement.