| The national interest remains among the most commonly utilized phrases in the vocabulary of international relations. There are, however, few empirical studies of the process by which elites formulate their perceptions of national interests. China and India today are both seeking military modernization and economic reforms, but these policies spring from markedly different perceptions of the national interest of each nation.; This research investigates the process by which perceptions of the national interest are formed in China and India, and provides implications for national interest formation elsewhere. The data for perceptions of the national interest are derived from 110 formal elite interviews in China and India, as well as documents and literature. The respondents' perceptions concerning the purpose of defense modernization and economic reforms reveal the perceived hierarchy of national interests in each country.; National interests in China and India are primarily determined by perceptions of internal and external threats to state sovereignty. Factors such as national unity, territorial integrity, and globalization all combine to create pressures on the state. In addition, political institutions play an integral role in determining which threats are most critical. Chinese respondents perceived territorial sovereignty and state unity to be the primary national interests. The existence of a rigid political system in China meant that failure to protect territory and unity could risk the legitimacy of the Communist Party and state. For China, preservation of state unity and Party legitimacy became vital for state survival.; Indian respondents believed globalization posed the greatest threat to state sovereignty, and the primary national interest was protecting sovereignty in the economic and political spheres. The legitimacy of the Indian political system was not of concern, and respondents credited democratic institutions with providing remarkable political stability. Thus, the divergences in national interest formation can be traced back to the differences in the political systems. The Party-State structure in China and democracy in India create different imperatives for the ranking of national interests. The different processes of national interest formation between China and India ultimately influence the intentions of these nations as they play increasingly prominent roles in the international system. |
