Prosperity but insecurity? Globalization and the challenges to China's national security, 1979--2000

The purpose of this study is to go beyond the conventional debate about whether China's rise will pose a threat to the rest of the world, and to see how China's security strategy has been created and modified by political elites during the reform period. The research assumes that increasing emphasis on economic aspect of security by Chinese leaders today is the consequence of their attempts to protecting their power and interests in the process of the country's integration into the world economy. The interactions between the elites' attitudes toward the Open Policy and their reactions toward the changes of external security circumstance constitute a dynamic force modulating the security considerations of elites and security policies they made.; The research is organized to examine three phases of the economic reforms: 1979--1989, 1989--1992, and 1992--2000. In each phase, the analysis aims to explore the following five questions: (1) Who are the elites with power and privileges to discuss security related issues? (2) How are elite interests served? (3) How do the elites look at the outside world? (4) What issues concerning national security have been raised and debated? (5) Do the discussions lead to an adjustment of security policy?; The research finds that the security policies the elites pursued have created a situation called "development/security dilemma: The elites become convinced that China's modernization will be more dependent on increasing economic linkages with the outside world. Globalization of production allows China to absorb foreign capital and technologies for the development of domestic economy, thus enhancing the security of the society. However, globalization trend undermines the security of the state, as the leaders find it difficult to respond to new political, economic, and social challenges. The elites involved in the security discourse are prompted to face a dilemma between two contradictory goals: prosperity and security.; To respond to the dilemma, the elites have developed three strategic traditions: globalism, autarky, and economic nationalism. Each tradition represents a unique strategic perspective, and offers a solution to the contradiction between prosperity and security.