Chinese Perceptions of U.S. Power and Strategy

Abstract

C hinese writings on U.S. foreign policy and Sino-American relations are characterized by a strikingly frequent use of the term strategy. Such an intense focus on strategic analysis reflects the dominance of the realist paradigm in Chinese international thinking. From this approach, the state (here, the United States) is viewed as a unitary actor rationally calculating every move under a master plan to ensure security and maximize power. In the true spirit of structural realism, only great powers matter in international relations. The United States is the sole hegemon and exercises the greatest power over China. U.S. global strategy guides both its foreign policy and its dealings with China. Thus, Chinese interpretations of U.S. global strategy ultimately motivate Beijing's external behavior and reactions to the United States.