National Objectives vs. Strategic Choices:——Lessons from Chinese Diplomacy

Modernization, national reunification, social reform and revival as a great power - these four broad objectives represent China’s core interests. They have been the defining strategic factors at work behind the dynamics of Chinese diplomacy since 1949. These factors have undergone periods of "leaning to one side" (toward Moscow) in the early years, "opposing two hegemonic powers" in the late 1950s, forging "one battle line" of a global anti-Soviet united front in the 1970s and pursuing a "multidimensional" diplomacy up to the present. Both positive and negative historical experience of the 60-odd years offers us much food for thought.