ABSTRACT
China becomes economically more advanced, it will undergo social and eventually political transformation that will result in a more pluralistic political decision-making process in Beijing that will, in turn, act to check assertive or aggressive Chinese foreign actions or tendencies. Pessimists in the United States and elsewhere in the West are more inclined to focus on the strong nationalistic ambitions and intentions of the Chinese leaders. The problems of political stability focus on leadership succession-as principal leader Deng Xiaoping slowly fades-and the difficulty Beijing has in trying to control students, workers, and others demanding greater accountability, less corruption, or other steps that would curb central authority. The foreign powers around China’s periphery and those who have an important role to play regarding Chinese interests in international organizations, trade, and global issues could influence the course of Chinese foreign policy in several ways.
