Volume XV – Number 1
Harold C. Hinton
Abstract: This article distinguishes the foreign policy visions of radicals and conservatives within the Chinese Communist Party leadership. In the view of Chinese radicals, neither the Soviet Union nor the United States are deemed to be trustworthy allies to China, and the way to strengthen China’s international image is through violent domestic revolution. Policies of this nature are characterized best by the period deemed the Cultural Revolution during the 1960s under Chairman Mao Zedong’s rule. Conversely, in the view of moderate Chinese leaders, China’s modernization is dependent upon enduring international peace and stability, particularly with respect to the Soviet Union and the United States. The view of Chinese moderates has been that the best way to avoid military conflict is through the use of manipulative diplomatic measures, rather than by strengthening China’s image through violent revolution. After a thorough assessment of the effectiveness of radical and moderate strategies in terms of foreign policy, this article concludes that Chinese leadership must embrace more moderate foreign policies in order to achieve success in its goal of stabilization and economic modernization.
Keywords: modernization, Chinese foreign policy, Soviet Union, diplomacy, radical leadership, moderate leadership, Cultural Revolution, Mao Zedong
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