Should the United States contain China?

Abstract

In fall 1995, the Clinton administration committed to President Jiang Zemin not to contain China. While a good decision, the administration's rationale indcates that the decision may have been made for the wrong reasons. In choosing not to contain China, the administration may have emasculaed its foreign policy options toward China, especially as China increasingly engages in belligerent foreign policies. An analysis of the decision, and an alternative paradigm for the decision‐making process, is offered in this article.