ABSTRACT
China sees the USSR both as the prime external threat to its security and as the principal competitor for its international political position. Significant Chinese influence based on oil seems unlikely, given the study's pessimistic view of export prospects, but even if future exports expand rapidly, gains should be limited as oil is only one of an increasing number of weapons in China's diplomatic arsenal. Traditional Maoist emphasis on proper spiritual development and the current imperatives of nation building argue for the continued primacy of internal matters, a condition which simply magnifies the importance of China's leadership orientation in the post-succession period. A similar pattern has emerged in regard to China's Third World interests. China's main means of thwarting Soviet gains involve efforts to preserve competition between the United States and Russia and to preempt a strong Soviet-Japanese relationship. Meanwhile, rivalry with the Soviets continues to be the centerpiece of Chinese foreign policy.
