ABSTRACT

The most significant overall trend in mainland Chinese foreign policy has been the shift away from a Maoist approach to a more pragmatic and predictable one. On the domestic front, a reasonably innovative economic policy—especially in agriculture, high technology, and foreign trade—has been accompanied by a contrasting political approach marked by bureaucratic centralization and tighter police controls. Peking, which had consistently given the impression of wanting access of that kind before buying US arms, was showing signs of finally taking that ultimate step. The Sino-US relationship appeared to be moving into the realm of reality and at least partly out of that of rhetoric, friendly or hostile. Mainland China has long been very secretive about its technological progress and its military modernizations, mainly; it would appear, in order to avoid possibly alarming the superpowers and its Asian neighbors before it was ready to deal with them from a position of strength.