China's New Imperialism

This book discusses the nature of Chinas current international reassertion of itself and the thinking and attitudes which lie behind it. It argues that the Chinese leadership has a strongly held view of its own high moral authority, which emphasizes inclusion, equality and mutual benefits, and that this sense of morality underpins the driving forces for Chinas foreign policies, rationalization of Chinas overseas activities, the overall Chinese worldview, and Chinas vision of a Chinese world order. It highlights how the countrys outward expansion has been characterized mainly by spreading influence through non-use of force and strategies of co-operation and managed conflict under the umbrella of winning without fighting. A set of Chinese geo-strategic reasoning that addresses how the possession of capabilities in land power and sea power will interact to produce favorable balance of power corresponds to the countrys pattern of overseas activities. The book approaches the subject empirically based on original research into both writings for policy-making purposes, which indicate realistic assessments of world politics and of Chinas international capacity, and also narratives for public consumption, which have less emphasis on selfinterest and realpolitik. The book concludes that Beijings self-privileging high morality might have the unfortunate consequence of reinforcing its own behavior which defies international order and which others disapprove of, thereby increasing the likelihood of non-armed and armed conflicts.