Chinese Perceptions of the U.S.

The "China threat" has been one of hotly debated topics since the early 1990s. Chinese Perceptions of the U.S. is a book about what Chinese scholars said about the U.S. among themselves, their criticism and appreciation of the U.S., its power status in the world, the advantages and disadvantages of its political and economic systems, and most importantly, what China should do with regard to the U.S. The author addresses two fundamental questions: Does China have the capabilities to challenge the international system? And does it have the motivation to do so? This book offers a systematic study of China's foreign policy motivations by exploring how consideration of national interests and how China's perceptions of key characters of the U.S. affect its foreign policy orientation.

"In this important book, Professor Zhang provides much-needed insights into Chinese images of the United States and elite motivations."-Andrew Linklater, Woodrow Wilson Professor of International Relations, Aberystwyth University, UK "Prof. Zhang's analysis will help readers to deepen their understanding about how the Chinese scholars of international relations view the US as a solo superpower and its relations with China." -Xuetong Yan, professor and director, the Institute of International Studies, Tsinghua University, China "Biwu Zhang's cognitive approach to Chinese perceptions of America casts new light on whether China is a revisionist or status quo power." -Kevin J. O'Brien, Alann P. Bedford Professor of Asian Studies and professor of political science, University of California, Berkeley "Zhang offers a persuasive analysis of the sources of the frequent oscillations in U.S.-China relations and he makes a valuable contribution to the scholarship on U.S.-China relations." -Robert Ross, professor of political science, Boston College "This book gives a comprehensive assessment of the strategic relationship between the United States and China. Ideal for students of international affairs." -Denny Roy, Senior Fellow, East-West Center, Honolulu

Foreword Chapter 1. What are China's Foreign Policy Motivations? Chapter 2. Image Study as an Approach to Explore China's Motivations toward the U.S. Chapter 3. Chinese Perceptions of Threat from the U.S. Chapter 4. Chinese Perceptions of Opportunity from the U.S. Chapter 5. Chinese Perceptions of American Power Chapter 6. Chinese Perceptions of American Economy Chapter 7. Chinese Perceptions of American Politics Chapter 8. Conclusion