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Strategic Disharmony and Grand Strategic Vacuum: Challenging the Traditional Perceptions on China’s Strategic Behaviour

Cheng, Victor LU (2007) Culture and the Configuring of Security: The Second Annual Nordic NIAS Council Conference
Abstract
This is a macro-historical study of China's strategic behaviour. China’s national defence has long posed an issue for Western observers and scholars. For generations, China’s attitude to warfare has been considered markedly pacifistic, and its concomitant military strategies primarily defensive. However, in his book Cultural Realism, Harvard’s Alastair Iain Johnston surprisingly concludes that Chinese strategic policy has been dominated by fundamentally the same culture of hard Realpolitik as that of the West. The perception of a belligerent China has attracted much attention and debate in the field. Arguing that existing theories are inadequate in explaining China’s strategic behaviour, this paper proposes to adopt new approaches —... (More)
This is a macro-historical study of China's strategic behaviour. China’s national defence has long posed an issue for Western observers and scholars. For generations, China’s attitude to warfare has been considered markedly pacifistic, and its concomitant military strategies primarily defensive. However, in his book Cultural Realism, Harvard’s Alastair Iain Johnston surprisingly concludes that Chinese strategic policy has been dominated by fundamentally the same culture of hard Realpolitik as that of the West. The perception of a belligerent China has attracted much attention and debate in the field. Arguing that existing theories are inadequate in explaining China’s strategic behaviour, this paper proposes to adopt new approaches — “strategic disharmony” and “grand strategic vacuum” — as key concepts not only in the study of China’s strategic history but also to give a much needed new perspective on our understanding of China’s national defence policy and its impact on today’s global security. Given its contemporary relevance, in view of China’s recent multibillion-dollar military build-up against the West, this paper proposes to take a critical stance vis-a-vis the previous scholarship with the aim of advancing the theoretical development of the field. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Chinese military history, human violence, Strategic culture
host publication
The Second Annual Nordic NIAS Council Conference
pages
12 pages
publisher
Nordic Institue of Asian Studies
conference name
Culture and the Configuring of Security: The Second Annual Nordic NIAS Council Conference
conference location
Höör, Sweden
conference dates
2007-11-06 - 2007-11-09
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
744701ab-8ff1-454a-bfde-4df7037bdcb4 (old id 950945)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 12:05:27
date last changed
2018-11-21 21:08:56
@inproceedings{744701ab-8ff1-454a-bfde-4df7037bdcb4,
  abstract     = {{This is a macro-historical study of China's strategic behaviour. China’s national defence has long posed an issue for Western observers and scholars. For generations, China’s attitude to warfare has been considered markedly pacifistic, and its concomitant military strategies primarily defensive. However, in his book Cultural Realism, Harvard’s Alastair Iain Johnston surprisingly concludes that Chinese strategic policy has been dominated by fundamentally the same culture of hard Realpolitik as that of the West. The perception of a belligerent China has attracted much attention and debate in the field. Arguing that existing theories are inadequate in explaining China’s strategic behaviour, this paper proposes to adopt new approaches — “strategic disharmony” and “grand strategic vacuum” — as key concepts not only in the study of China’s strategic history but also to give a much needed new perspective on our understanding of China’s national defence policy and its impact on today’s global security. Given its contemporary relevance, in view of China’s recent multibillion-dollar military build-up against the West, this paper proposes to take a critical stance vis-a-vis the previous scholarship with the aim of advancing the theoretical development of the field.}},
  author       = {{Cheng, Victor}},
  booktitle    = {{The Second Annual Nordic NIAS Council Conference}},
  keywords     = {{Chinese military history; human violence; Strategic culture}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Nordic Institue of Asian Studies}},
  title        = {{Strategic Disharmony and Grand Strategic Vacuum: Challenging the Traditional Perceptions on China’s Strategic Behaviour}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}