The Myth of China's Grand Strategy

China's contemporary leadership does not have a grand strategy for the 21st Century and it is unlikely that the new leaders coming to power in 2012-13 will be able to craft one. These claims go across the views of virtually everyone concerned about China's comeback as a great power in the international arena. Among China observers there is agreement on, and to some extent admiration for, the Chinese leadership's ability to think long-term and patiently to work towards the realization of a grand vision for the Middle Kingdom. Undoubtedly, there is a great deal of strategic thinking going on in China that has not been translated into any kind of coherent strategy. Today's Chinese leaders are pragmatists; they see opportunities and seize them without being bound by any overall plan. They are also introvert and forced to engage in short-term firefighting rather than think long term.