Above all they seek confirmation that the United States is a declining hegemon, a misperception that could lead to miscalculations and possibly war. Millions of dollars have been spent bringing Chinese strategists to the West to learn firsthand how things are but to little effect, noted David Shambaugh. Every year foundations sponsor hundreds of Chinese students and scholars to come to the United States to study. The goal is to educate these bright minds to think more like us. If the book is any indication, that approach is not working.
China remains trapped in intellectual insularity.
Traditional Chinese statecraft, Maoist thought, and Marxist-Leninist ideology all contribute to that. The ancient writers focus on the state and believe that all events are cyclical. Hence hegemons rise and fall. Traditional xenophobia and political nationalism also play a role. For a decade, China s government has been teaching strong anti-foreignism in the schools, and it is having an effect.