Chinese Strategic Thought Toward Asia

This book traces the development of Chinese thinking over four periods from the 1980s on and covers strategies toward: Russia and Central Asia, Japan, the Korean peninsula, Southeast and South Asia, and regionalism. It compares strategic thinking, arguing that the level was lowest under Jiang Zemin and highest under Hu Jintao.

Japanese leaders and often the media too have substituted symbols for strategy in dealing with Asia. This comprehensive review of four periods over twenty years exposes the strategic gap in viewing individually and collectively China, Taiwan, the Korean peninsula, Russia, Central Asia, and regionalism.

At the crossroads of Northeast Asia, South Korea provides a critical vantage point for viewing changes in the region. This comprehensive review of the past quarter century covers its strategic thinking in regard to China, Japan, Russia, regionalism, and reunification.

The book explains the Putin era's ambivalent approach to Asia and finds lessons from earlier approaches worthy of further attention. The overview compares how strategic thinking evolved, while reflecting on factors that shaped it.

At the crossroads of Northeast Asia, South Korea provides a critical vantage point for viewing changes in the region. This comprehensive review of the past quarter century covers its strategic thinking in regard to China, Japan, Russia, regionalism, and reunification.

This book seeks to afford an objective, incisive insight into China. Written by a veteran Indian analyst with over 25 years of experience monitoring developments relating to contemporary China, it is an attempt to inform and promote understanding of China’s policies and actions and, especially, the implications for India. The 32 essays that comprise the book present a comprehensive tour de horizon of present-day China ranging across a variety of subjects. Each of the aspects touched upon have direct relevance for the international community and particularly for India and the Asia-Pacific region. The first section deals exclusively with China’s currently evolving internal political situation. The outline sketches of China’s two top leaders suggest their personalities influence Beijing’s policies and that China’s domestic and foreign policies will undoubtedly bear their imprimatur. Other articles examine the equally important and rapidly evolving political scenario in China, especially concerning the selection of cadres to the Chinese Communist Party’s highest echelons. The absence of veteran leaders of pre-eminence and unquestioned authority has accentuated competition within the Chinese Communist Party and indicators of potential discord, like the political upheaval involving ex-Politburo member Bo Xilai, have been identified. The book notes the attempt by China’s leadership to rearrange national economic developmental priorities to remain competitive in a changing international environment and includes a debate centering on the Yuan rivaling the US dollar. Two articles assess the implications of China’s maritime ambitions and Cyber strategy, both of which are centerpieces of China’s military strategy. Other articles discuss in some detail the India-China relationship, China’s relations with some of India’s neighbours, and Sino-US relations -- described by Beijing as China’s single, most important relationship. A subject usually less focused upon though of vital strategic importance to India, namely China’s strategy regarding Tibetan Buddhists and the Dalai Lama, is scrutinized in the book’s concluding section. This includes the developmental activity in Tibet and plans to divert the waters of the Brahmaputra, both of which have a serious potential to impact on India. For the facility of easy reading, this book contains no citations or references.

At the end of the Cold War, commentators were pondering how far Western ideas would spread; today, the debate seems to be how far Chinese ideas will reach. This volume examines Chinese international relations thought and practices, identifying the extent to which China's rise has provoked fresh geo-strategic and intellectual shifts within Asia.