Moving Toward a Co-Management Approach: China’s Policy Toward North Korea and Taiwan

This article analyzes Chinese foreign policy toward two flashpoints in East Asia: the Korean peninsula and the Taiwan Strait. It argues that there has been an evolution in terms of Beijing’s approaches toward these two international crises over time. One can discern three different approaches. First, historical legacies have always played a critical role in the formulation of China’s policy calculations and the Korea and Taiwan issues are no exception. I call this the “history-embedded” perspective. Second, with the recent rise of China’s economic and political might, nationalism in China has correspondingly been on the rise. National interests have been further prioritized over ideological considerations. This approach can be called “national interest-driven” foreign policy. Third, Beijing has become increasingly confident not only about its strengths in the world arena but also about its ability to coordinate with related powers regarding their various interests. This approach can be called “co-management of international crises” with major powers. The article argues that until recently China has emphasized the first two sets of considerations, but seems to be gradually moving toward a new approach, namely co-management with major powers.