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Imagining the Worst, Hoping for the Best

The deterioration of Sino-American relations has become a matter of growing concern for policymakers and academics in both countries. This chapter offers a critique of the American realist and liberal positions on China and examines a diverse range of Chinese views, highlighting the importance of understanding Chinese concepts and perspectives. A common flaw of realist and liberal theories is that they do not attempt to understand Chinese foreign policy goals and means with reference to Chinese culture and history. But such reference is a starting point critical to any serious analysis. Of special importance is the traditional Chinese principle of wangdao, or humane authority, which is surprisingly similar to the ancient Greek understanding of hēgemonia. The overview of this chapter drives home the inadequacy of analyzing foreign policy in terms of power and relative power and draws attention to the importance of the goals that political elites seek and the ends they consider appropriate to them.