China's New Relationships With Its Neighbors

The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) has figured in the strategic calculus of the United States since the defeat of the Nationalist forces in 1949. As the PRC struggles with internal change it is reaching out to the region, and its success bears directly on US policy, force structure, and influence in the Asia Pacific. This study examines the PRC's relationships focusing primarily on Northeast and Southeast Asia. The primary research method is an open source search covering the history of the PRC and its foreign policy tenets since Mao's death. Findings and Conclusion: In the last couple of years, China's economic capabilities have multiplied, expanding its international interactions. As theory predicts, China is converting a portion of its economic gain into military improvements, but the security gains are modest and specifically focused on hampering any US cross-straits response. The PRC's pragmatic decision to accommodate US military power while focusing on a daunting array of domestic priorities is likely to restrain PRC defense improvements for the foreseeable future. This study shows that China's economic influence has had limited effects on other realms of national power. The US has not lost influence as a result of Chinese actions; however, the prestige of the United States may have suffered as a result of its own doing. The US must tend to issues important to Asians or the region may just look for another option that China would be all too happy to accommodate.

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