The Art of Walking on Two Legs: Stakeholder and Challenger Elements in China’s National Security Strategy after the Cold War

Speaker: Liselotte Odgaard, Wilson Center fellow

Debates on China’s national security strategy after the Cold War have often emphasized two positions. The “stakeholder” position conceives of China’s ascent as conducive to enhanced international cooperation, and is consistent with a perceived Chinese preference for the non-use of force to protect common international objectives. The “challenger” position argues that China’s ascent will lead to enhanced international rivalry, and views the alliance-based international system promoted by the United States as adverse to China’s interests. This presentation outlines a third approach and submits that China may be using stakeholder strategies to challenge U.S. pre-eminence in the international system by introducing the seeds of an alternative international order by means of persuasion rather than enforcement.