A Cultural Theory of Chinese Foreign Policy

This article introduces a cultural theory of Chinese foreign policy based on Chinese face culture and its three-dimensional features, namely: motivation; cognition and behavior. The core promise of this theory contends that face is the cultural expression of self-esteem, which is a powerful motive that drives China's foreign policy. With the Chinese relationalism acting as a cognitive filter, there is a distinctive approach to fulfill this desire. This article shows, first, the origin of Chinese face culture and its current usage in Chinese society. Second, it explores how each dimension of face peer finds its relevance in China's foreign policy. Third, it examines how to operationalize face in foreign policy analysis. Finally, the theoretical and practical importance of this theory will be summarized.