The Impact of the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks on U.S. - China Relations
Publisher: Naval Postgraduate School
Published: 2003
Place of publication: Monterey, California
Description: The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 on the United States had minimal impact on
U.S.-China relations. The attacks merely rearranged U.S. strategic priorities in Asia while
having no effect on Chinese strategic priorities. Before September 11, U.S. strategic priorities
in Asia were U.S.-China relations, and containing North Korean aggression and its development of
Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). After September 11, U.S. strategic priorities in Asia became
the U.S. war on terror (WOT), containing North Korean Aggression and its development of WMD, and
U.S.-China relations. This reordering of priorities did not result from stabilizing U.S.-China
relations, but rather because of the increased threat of international terrorism towards the
United States and U.S. interests. The Chinese strategic priorities of regime stability,
territorial integrity, and increasing international prestige and power, did not change because of
the attacks. The change in U.S. strategic priorities in Asia made the U.S.-China relationship
more stable. Going forward, the PRC is likely to favor stable relations with the United States as
long as China does not consider the expanding United States presence in Asia, because of the U.S.
WOT, an immediate threat to Chinese strategic priorities.
Notes: Model of the United States CENTCOM joint targeting architecture