China’s approach to US relations now dominated by focus on ‘East v West’ civilisational differences, says leading Chinese scholar

Peking University academic Wang Jisi argues in article for think tank that US has not ‘paid enough notice’ to the implications of China’s ideological shift
He warns that heightened sensitivities around areas such as history, culture and ethnic relations are making academic cooperation between the two sides harder

US-China relations

Yuanyue Dangin Beijing

Published: 5:31pm, 29 Mar 2024

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Chinese thinking on relations with the United States is now dominated by a focus on “East versus West” cultural and civilisation differences, a shift that is making academic collaboration between the two sides more difficult, a leading Chinese international relations expert has said.

Wang Jisi, founding president of the Institute of International and Strategic Studies at Peking University, also warned in an article for a US think tank that: “Not many US officials and observers have paid enough notice of changes in China’s ideological propaganda and the implications for its foreign policy and international studies.”

His article was one of 27 contributions by Chinese and American academics to a report titled US-China Scholarly Recoupling by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, which covered a range of topics from artificial intelligence to international relations.

“China’s current political and ideological debates with the United States are essentially defined in China along nationalist, cultural and civilisational queues – ‘the East versus the West’ – not between socialism and capitalism, between proletariat and bourgeoisie, or between worldwide proletariat revolution and imperialism in the traditional Marxist-Leninist conceptual framework,” Wang wrote.

The most notable change in China’s ideological thinking, Wang said, is the emphasis on President Xi Jinping’s theories. Although Marxism is nominally Beijing’s official ideology, Xi Jinping Thought is now “serving as the actual overarching, defining ideology”.

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He said the other notable shift is the “absence of Leninism”, which could be related to the Leninist emphasis on violent revolution and other radical ideas that the ruling Communist Party “no longer holds”.

A third ideological shift, according to Wang, is an emphasis on “China’s civilisational heritage and cultural traits”, which he linked to Xi’s “extraordinary” interest in major archaeological projects.

He quoted Xi’s comments that these projects can showcase China’s “glorious achievements and great contributions to world civilisation”, adding they can be used to “mobilise Chinese nationalism – essentially Han nationalism” – as a “powerful resource” for the Communist Party’s goals.

He also warned that as a result of these changes the “bar is higher today” for scholars in both China and the West to collaborate because of “increased sensitivities” in areas such as ancient and modern history, including the party’s own past, ethnic relations, religion, social welfare, demographic changes, culture and current political and economic transformation.

Peking University academic Wang Jisi warned that increased sensitivities were limiting academic exchanges. Photo: Baidu

This also limits the scope for Chinese international relations specialists to evaluate Chinese’s foreign policy, especially regarding the US, he said.

US-China relations have deteriorated sharply in recent years as the two sides clash over geopolitics, trade, technology and human rights. Washington has said the relationship is one between “systemic rivals”, although China has rejected this framing.

Elsewhere in the report, published on Wednesday, contributors warned of the impact that both sides’ focus on national security was having.

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“The over-securitisation of every element of the relationship is restricting a more comprehensive recoupling of ties, a vexing situation which is stifling research, limiting overseas study, reducing mutual understanding, and harming the national interest of both countries.” Scott Kennedy, senior adviser and trustee chair in Chinese Business and Economics at the CSIS, said in the introduction to the report.

Kennedy added that Beijing and Washington must lay a stronger foundation for relations between the two countries, especially for academic cooperation, but academics need to “ensure that their principles are protected and their mission furthered”.