The View from Beijing

Abstract

Foreign policy proceeds from basic assumptions about the outside world, assumptions conditioned by a society’s unique background and circumstances. Some understanding of Beijing’s interpretation of international affairs is vital to comprehending its decisions. Indeed, as R. F. Wye contends, ‘In a society where decision-making has certainly tended to be, and probably remains, a much more personal business than it does in the West, the leaders’ perceptions matter’ (Wye, 1995–96, p. 181). As we shall see, while policy-makers in Beijing face many of the same problems as other statesmen, their worldview is in many respects distinctive.