ABSTRACT
This chapter juxtaposes two of the most influential, yet under-studied, America watchers within the top echelon of the CPC, Zheng Bijian and Wang Huning. To be sure, the two have indelibly shaped CPC attitudes, yet surprisingly enough, although Zheng has been written about extensively in the English language, Wang has hitherto remained largely outside academics’ purview. This chapter then explore linkages between the ideas of Wang and Zheng and those of other well-known America watchers like Liu Mingfu and, to a lesser extent, Yan Xuetong. It is hoped that this comparison will offer clues about the extent to which the current advisory shaping CPC thinking on the US differs from the previous generation and as to whether CPC thinking is un-American or anti-American in essence. The conclusions will tie the study together by speculating, based on Wang’s and Zheng’s views, about the degree to which New Confucianism, as opposed to neoliberalism, will shape Chinese society in the future.
