Staring Away from the Sun: How Non-Military Considerations Can Reduce Tensions Between the United States and China

Abstract

This project explored how data provided by faculty members of the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies can contribute to the reduction of tensions between the US and China. The project asks three questions: 1) How can non-military options from DKI-APCSS faculty inform American policymakers in their efforts to reduce tensions between the United States and China? 2) How can opinions provided by DKI-APCSS faculty on US-China tensions influence narratives regarding US-China security dynamics? And lastly, 3) In what ways can such opinions be operationalized within a strictly US context? Project participants completed a survey that consisted of open- and closed-ended questions which enabled me to conduct a mixed methods analysis on the data. The project’s key findings included the need for greater coherence and consistency in American foreign policy and an improved application of the instruments of national power; challenges with the application of American soft power; how American narratives are falling behind those of the Chinese; and how collaboration between the US and China must be improved.