ABSTRACT
The geopolitical environment has also been employed to analyze and predict China's strategic behavior. The theory of Sanjiangyuan as China's geopolitical center of gravity described here is mainly employed by Chinese scholars to illustrate the strategic importance of Northwest China, where Qinghai, Gansu, and Shaanxi are located, as well as its core position in China's geopolitical map. This chapter extends the thesis to encompass Chinese strategic priorities within the modern globalizing world. Sanjiangyuan is a foundation of Chinese civilization. Chinese civilization is an ancient and powerful influence on the strategic thinking of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The western rivers that originate from Sanjiangyuan sculpt the fundamental forms and features of Chinese civilization. These three rivers flowing across China from west to east introduce the water element to Chinese culture, which determines the basic form of Chinese civilization.
