ABSTRACT
Chinese foreign policy has undergone significant changes. This chapter provides special attention to two aspects of the Chinese foreign policy currents-Sino-Soviet relations and Chinese policy toward Korea. A most outstanding characteristic of Chinese foreign policy since the beginning of the 1980s is, in Beijing’s own terms, the pursuance of an independent and autonomous foreign policy. This policy was first announced in 1982 by Hu Yaobang, secretary general of the Chinese Communist party, in his political report to the Twelfth National Party Congress. The main characteristics of China’s new foreign policy were well summarized by Wu Xuechian, former foreign minister and a deputy premier. Wu’s description of the second and third elements of the policy indicates that pragmatism and economic considerations are the key factors in the conduct of Chinese foreign policy. If Wu’s explanation was an official one, an unofficial version can be found in an article written by a Chinese scholar whose unusual candor and balanced approach surprise many.
