Smart Power in U.S.-China Relations

One of the ongoing discussions over the last few months among young observers of U.S. foreign policy is how the Obama administration will shape its policy toward Asia generally, and China specifically.  Secretary Clinton’s early trip to Asia demonstrated the region is at the forefront of U.S. interests, but the substance of the administration’s approach to regional issues and Asian states is still forming, especially towards China.  The U.S. approach to China should be anchored in a smart power framework.

U.S.-Chinese ties could have a greater impact on international affairs than any other relationship. It is difficult to envision solving the world’s most serious issues including global financial instability, proliferation, terrorism, climate change, and energy insecurity without joint action by Beijing and Washington.  This is the primary message of ‘Smart Power in U.S. Relations’, a recent report released by the CSIS Commission on China.

The bi-partisan Commission advocates strong cooperation and engagement in U.S.-Chinese bi-lateral relations to address global challenges of mutual interest- for the greater global good.  Overcoming the entrenched narrative of ‘strategic mistrust’ that exists on issues such as Taiwan or Tibet, which inevitably generate friction in the relationship, will be key to shaping a new strategic framework between the U.S. and China.  Utilizing all tools of smart power for cooperation- diplomatic, economic, military, and cultural instruments- is the effective way for the U.S. and China to serve their national interests and the global good.

Recommendations of the report are anchored in the concept of smart power and pursuing clear, measurable, and actionable goals.  Implementing an aggressive engagement agenda through public diplomacy, launching a comprehensive, achievable agenda on energy and climate, and instituting a new dialogue on finance and economics are three concrete initiatives the Commission offers to both the U.S. and Chinese governments for immediate consideration.

The Commission’s deliberations were informed by an important new study by senior CSIS scholars, Chinese Soft Power and its Implications for the United States: Competition and Cooperation in the Developing World. The study concludes that Chinese soft power lacks a strategic framework, and to date does not present a direct challenge to the United States.  CSIS research suggests that growing Chinese soft power in the developing world may have influenced recent U.S. decisions to engage more actively and re-invest in soft tools that have atrophied during the past decade.  Competition does exist between the United States and China, yet it may actually mobilize both countries to strengthen their ability to solve global problems.

U.S. and Chinese policy decisions will be shaped primarily by choices their leaders make regarding their respective interests and domestic contexts. Both states must recognize and accept that the other will pursue a policy that is in its own national interest.

Yet, in a globalized world, global challenges require transnational solutions.  Epidemics, financial crisis, and environmental issues are no longer limited by rigid national borders.  What constitutes the national interest for China and the U.S. is broader and more complex than in the past.  Virtually no major global challenge can be met without U.S.-China cooperation.

Check out the Next America Debate: How should the US respond to China's rise as a regional and global power?