Interpreting China's Grand Strategy: Past, Present, and Future

Swaine, Michael D.; Tellis, Ashley J.

ISBN 10: 0833028154 / ISBN 13: 9780833028150

Published by RAND Corporation, 2000

Pages are clean and are not marred by notes or folds of any kind. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0833028154I2N00

Synopsis:

China's continuing rapid economic growth and expanding involvement in global affairs pose major implications for the power structure of the international system. To more accurately and fully assess the significance of China's emergence for the United States and the global community, it is necessary to gain a more complete understanding of Chinese security thought and behavior. This study addresses such questions as: What are China's most fundamental national security objectives? How has the Chinese state employed force and diplomacy in the pursuit of these objectives over the centuries? What security strategy does China pursue today and how will it evolve in the future? The study asserts that Chinese history, the behavior of earlier rising powers, and the basic structure and logic of international power relations all suggest that, although a strong China will likely become more assertive globally, this possibility is unlikely to emerge before 2015-2020 at the earliest. To handle this situation, the study argues that the United States should adopt a policy of realistic engagement with China that combines efforts to pursue cooperation whenever possible; to prevent, if necessary, the acquisition by China of capabilities that would threaten America's core national security interests; and to remain prepared to cope with the consequences of a more assertive China.

About the Author: Michael Swaine (PhD, Harvard University) is a senior political scientist at RAND and director of the RAND Center for Asia-Pacific Policy. Research interests include Chinese security policy, foreign relations, Chinese civil-military relations, U.S.-China relations, and East Asian security issues.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Interpreting China's Grand Strategy: Past, ...
Publisher: RAND Corporation
Publication Date: 2000
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: As New
Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket