Chinese Views of US Foreign Policy under the Obama Administration

Abstract

The Chinese narrative around concepts of “China’s Rise,” the “US Decline,” and the “Power Shift,” and the assumption that China will have preeminence over its neighborhood in East Asia have absorbed the attention of Chinese scholars and policymakers for two decades. Although the Power Shift is yet to fully emerge, it is deeply embedded in the Chinese consciousness. If China’s rise has not progressed as had been hoped, it is often blamed on US efforts at containment. The Obama administration will be remembered in China for its rebalance to Asia policy. This chapter will examine how Chinese perceived and debated the US rebalance to Asia. Chinese needed to reconcile the US rebalance with the enduring Chinese belief in the Power Shift.