Chinese Academia's Debate on the New US Strategy toward

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Abstract

This paper aims to research into the ongoing debate about the new US strategy toward China among the Chinese scholars and its implications for the China-US relations in the future. The larger ambition here is to promote the mutual interaction and understanding between the informed debates on the bilateral relationship in both countries. The paper focuses on the major consensuses and controversies formed during the ongoing debate in the Chinese academic circles regarding how China should respond to the new US strategy toward China, which is now partly reflected in the furious trade policy of the Trump administration. Based on the summary and analysis of the agreement and disagreement among the Chinese academics, several suggestions are presented at the end for a stable and sound China-US relationship.

Keywords: Chinese academia, debate, US strategy toward China, China-US relations

Introduction

The release of the new national security strategy by the Trump administration in December 2017, followed by other official strategy documents, seemed to signify the end of the long China debate in the US, which began in 2015 during the Obama administration. That end, however, just witnessed the beginning of a new round of debate in China, discussing the best response to the emerging new US strategy toward China. Now, the debate has begun to feature calmness and maturity although the ongoing trade conflict is raging on between China and the United States. In order to see a clear picture of the upcoming bilateral relationship, it is an appropriate time now to examine and recognize what both sides are thinking about the other country. This paper is such an attempt to feel the pulse of the Chinese side by focusing on the debate on China's response toward the incoming new US strategy in the Chinese academia.

Chinese academia

Chinese academia here refers to the scholars studying China-US relations in universities, research institutes and think tanks. Although not as active as their American counterparts involved in the "revolving doors"-frequently entering and exiting various government agencies, Chinese scholars also play a significant role in the shaping of Chinese foreign policy and strategy. They could join in the foreign policy making by directly acting as advisors to the state leadership or foreign policy departments, or indirectly by debating...