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China’s Perception of the US: An Exploration of China’s Foreign Policy Motivations

Zhang, Biwu
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1037944931

Abstract Details

2002, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Political Science.
“China threat” has been one of hotly debated topics since the early 1990s. But there have been very few systematic attempts to test the relevant propositions in this debate. This dissertation is an effort to test the China threat thesis. The author argues that a test of the China threat thesis requires addressing two fundamental questions: whether China has the capabilities to challenge the international system and whether China has the motivations to do so. As there has been an abundance of scholarly works focusing on the subject of China’s capabilities, and hardly any systematic efforts to address the subject of China’s motivations, this dissertation will offer a systematic study of China’s motivations, i.e. to see whether China is a status quo or a revisionist country. For this purpose, this dissertation resorts to an image approach. The author argues that the formulation of a state’s foreign policy is affected basically by two considerations: the national interest involved in bilateral relations and key characters of a target state. Consequently, image study as an approach to study a state’s foreign policy should include these two parts. In terms of the interests involved in the bilateral relations, this project will explore the Chinese perception of threat from the US, namely how interactions with the US are perceived as harming China’s national interests, the Chinese perception of opportunity from the US, namely how relations with the US are perceived as serving China’s national interests, and the Chinese perception of American power/capabilities, namely how Chinese perceive the US as superior, similar, or inferior to China and other countries in various major dimensions of national power. In terms of key characters of the US, this project will explore China’s perceptions of American politics and economy. In doing so, the author will try not only to update the description in the existing literature, which usually focus on the Chinese perceptions before and around 1990, but also to structure the description so as to shed light on China’s foreign policy orientation. The conclusion as to whether China is a status quo or a revisionist country will be reached by exploring how consideration of national interests and how China’s perception of key characters of the US affect China’s foreign policy orientation. A summary of the dominant Chinese images of the US will also contribute to understanding China’s motivations vis-a-vis the US.
Richard Herrmann (Advisor)
420 p.
US-China relations; motivation; image; perception; foreign policy decision making; China threat

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Zhang, B. (2002). China’s Perception of the US: An Exploration of China’s Foreign Policy Motivations [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1037944931

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Zhang, Biwu. China’s Perception of the US: An Exploration of China’s Foreign Policy Motivations. 2002. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1037944931.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Zhang, Biwu. "China’s Perception of the US: An Exploration of China’s Foreign Policy Motivations." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2002. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1037944931

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.