China's Strategic Culture: A Perspective for the United States

For the past two decades the Peoples Republic of China PRC has made great gains in national development and economic growth and now stands as one of the most important states on the world scene. It is extremely important for U.S. policy makers to have a contextual understanding of what shapes Chinese thought and behavior that drives Chinese political, economic, and military imperatives. With much of the American public accepting the China Threat theory, it is critical that the United States recognize the role of strategic culture in shaping Chinas domestic and external policies. This paper illustrates the key characteristics of Chinese strategic culture -- the philosophy, history, and domestic factors that to a remarkable extent structure the strategic objectives of Chinas formal foreign policy, and explain how Chinas strategic interests are defined by modern Chinese pragmatic nationalism, drive for modernization, and yearning for a more prominent role in the Asian and world communities. A concluding analysis of the implications of Chinese strategic culture provides recommendations for U.S. national security policy.