The Great Wall and the empty fortress : China's search for security / by Andrew J. Nathan and Robert S. Ross.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. China's Place in the World -- 2. Legacies -- 3. The Rise and Decline of the Russian Threat -- 4. The American Puzzle -- 5. Difficult Friends: Japan and the Two Koreas -- 6. Neighbors to the South -- 7. Policy-Making -- 8. Military Power and Foreign Policy -- 9. Dilemmas of Opening: Foreign Economic Relations -- 10. Human Rights in Chinese Foreign Policy -- 11. Territorial Integrity: Inner Asia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong -- 12. The Foreign Policy of Taiwan -- 13. Chinese Security and World Order.

Today China is considered a threat by many in the United States and the rest of the world.

But the authors argue that those who subscribe to this alarmist view are mistaking the Great Wall for a symbol of strength, and falling for the deception of the Empty Fortress. Despite its sheer size, economic vitality, and drive to upgrade its military forces, China remains a vulnerable power, crowded on all sides by powerful rivals and potential foes. As it has throughout its history, China faces immense security problems, and their sources are at and within China's own borders.

China's foreign policy is calibrated to defend its territorial integrity against antagonists who are numerous, near, and strong. The authors trace the implications of this central point of China's relations with the United States, the Soviet Union and its successor states, and its regional rivals and partners. They address China's human-rights policy; its foreign economic policy; and its strategies in Taiwan, Tibet, and Hong Kong.