Strategic Studies Institute

Chinese Perceptions of Traditional and Nontraditional Security Threats Strategic Studies Institute

While "knowing your enemy" has long been a Chinese stratagem, cultural intelligence only recently has gained precedence in American military strategy. Our efforts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the war on terror remind us of how differently much of the rest of the world thinks and perceives. This monograph is an effort to better understand Chinese thinking. Ms. Susan Craig's research into Chinese threat perceptions is important for several reasons. Above all, it provides valuable insight into the comprehensiveness of the Chinese concept of national security and how China perceives itself, the world, and China's place within it. Further, the author's deliberate effort to maintain a Chinese perspective by relying solely on Chinese sources-namely, scholarly journals, the news media, official policy pronouncements, and personal interviews-demonstrates that Chinese intentions and motivations are not a secret.