Preface

Summary

As the world steps gingerly into the twenty-first century, perhaps the greatest question mark is what kind of global citizen the People's Republic of China will turn out to be. It became fashionable during the 1990s to speak of a “China Threat.” Does China pose a threat to its neighbors? Will China be cooperative or confrontational? Will China be a catalyst for peace or conflict? The subject of China's use of force is a basic and important dimension in attempting to address the larger question.

This is not the first book to examine multiple cases of China's use of force. Excellent studies by Jonathan Adelman and Chih-Yu Shih (Symbolic War), Melvin Gurtov and Byung-Moo Hwang (China under Threat), Gerald Segal (Defending China), and Allen Whiting (The Chinese Calculus of Deterrence) provide a wealth of data and insights. Yet, as China moves beyond what is often described as the “reform era,” there seems a pressing need for a fresh and comprehensive examination of the subject. This study considers the employment of military power both outside China's borders and within; it analyzes the use of force across three eras: under Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, and Jiang Zemin. Using the frameworks of strategic and civil-military culture, I seek both a better understanding of China's use of force to date and a better guide to anticipate the circumstances under which China may be likely to use force in the future.

The Great Wall is undoubtedly the most famous man-made structure in China.