The Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS)
held its annual Pacific symposium on “Asian Perspectives
on the Challenges of China” at the National
Defense University in Washington on March 7 and 8,
2000. This event brought together representatives of
the policy community and academe from Australia, the
People’s Republic of China, India, Japan, the Republic
of Korea, Singapore, Thailand, and the United States. It
focused on how perceptions of China influence
defense and foreign policies in key nations of the AsiaPacific
region, how the likely course of developments
in China might affect the future policies of countries
in the region, and how such changes might impact on
their security relations with the United States.
The symposium was keyed to two areas of ongoing
INSS research. First, it was integral to a study on U.S.
Regional Military Presence in the 21st Century. This
effort seeks to identify perceptions of the factors that
will shape the regional security environment over the
next decade. These perceptions will affect the security
policies of both allied and friendly nations and could
cause them to adjust their expectations for security
relations with the United States. The study will assist
security planners in developing U.S. regional military
presence for the future. Second, because Chinese intentions
and capabilities will continue to be a key determinant
in shaping the regional security environment,
INSS and the Center for the Study of Chinese Military
Affairs are conducting research on China as an emerging
great power. The symposium formed a crucial element
in that research project as well.
Despite news accounts on China prevalent at the
time, the symposium was not dominated by headlines
on tensions across the Taiwan Strait or the latest Chinese
white paper.