“The Strategic Consequences of Chinese Racism: A Strategic Asymmetry for the United States”, 2013-01-07 (; similar):
Whether China and the United States are destined to compete for domination in international politics is one of the major questions facing DoD. In a competition with the People’s Republic of China, the United States must explore all of its advantages and all of the weaknesses of China that may provide an asymmetry for the United States. This study examines one such asymmetry, the strategic consequences of Chinese racism. After having examined the literature on China extensively, this author is not aware of a single study that addresses this important topic. This study explores the causes of Chinese racism, the strategic consequences of Chinese racism, and how the United States may use this situation to advance its interests in international politics.
the study finds that xenophobia, racism, and ethnocentrism are caused by human evolution. These behaviors are not unique to the Chinese. However, they are made worse by Chinese history and culture.
considers the Chinese conception of race in Chinese history and culture. It finds that Chinese religious-cultural and historical conceptions of race reinforce Chinese racism. In Chinese history and contemporary culture, the Chinese are seen to be unique and superior to the rest of the world. Other peoples and groups are seen to be inferior, with a sliding scale of inferiority. The major Chinese distinction is between degrees of barbarians, the “black devils”, or savage inferiors, beyond any hope of interaction and the “white devils” or tame barbarians with whom the Chinese can interact. These beliefs are widespread in Chinese society, and have been for its history…
evaluates the 9 strategic consequences of Chinese racism.
virulent racism and eugenics heavily inform Chinese perceptions of the world…
racism informs their view of the United States…
racism informs their view of international politics in three ways.
states are stable, and thus good for the Chinese, to the degree that they are unicultural.
Chinese ethnocentrism and racism drive their outlook to the rest of the world. Their expectation is of a tribute system where barbarians know that the Chinese are superior.
there is a strong, implicit, racialist view of international politics that is alien and anathema to Western policy-makers and analysts. The Chinese are comfortable using race to explain events and appealing to racist stereotypes to advance their interests. Most insidious is the Chinese belief that Africans in particular need Chinese leadership.
the Chinese will make appeals to Third World states based on “racial solidarity”,…
Chinese racism retards their relations with the Third World…
Chinese racism, and the degree to which the Chinese permit their view of the United States to be informed by racism, has the potential to hinder China in its competition with the United States because it contributes to their overconfidence…
as lamentable as it is, Chinese racism helps to make the Chinese a formidable adversary…
the Chinese are never going to go through a civil rights movement like the United States…
China’s treatment of Christians and ethnic minorities is poor…
considers the 5 major implications for United States decision-makers and asymmetries that may result from Chinese racism.
Chinese racism provides empirical evidence of how the Chinese will treat other international actors if China becomes dominant…
it allows the United States to undermine China in the Third World…
it permits a positive image of the United States to be advanced in contrast to China…
calling attention to Chinese racism allows political and ideological alliances of the United States to be strengthened…
United States defense decision-makers must recognize that racism is a cohesive force for the Chinese…
…The study’s fundamental conclusion is that endemic Chinese racism offers the United States a major asymmetry it may exploit with major countries, regions like Africa, as well as with important opinion makers in international politics. The United States is on the right side of the struggle against racism and China is not. The United States should call attention to this to aid its position in international politics.