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Coping with the Soviet Union: the European and Chinese experience

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 October 2009

Gerald Segal
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Extract

China and western Europe share a common concern—their powerful neighbour the Soviet Union. Yet it is only in the past three years that Chinese and west European attitudes towards the Soviet Union have begun to converge. The absence of any previous Sino-European agreement on the role of, and reaction to, the Soviet Union has primarily been due to the vagaries of Chinese policy. Despite Chinese assertions and west European self-flagellation, in the past 35 years the west has been stable and largely secure, whereas China has been changeable and largely insecure. Yet despite recent converging trends in Sino-west European views of the Soviet Union, there are important reasons why both China and western Europe will continue to differ in how they meet the Soviet challenge.

Type
Research Article
Information
Review of International Studies , Volume 12 , Issue 4 , October 1986 , pp. 265 - 278
Copyright
Copyright © British International Studies Association 1986

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References

1. On western opinions see Flynn, Gregory and Rattinger, Hans (eds.), The Public and Atlantic Defence (London, 1985)Google Scholar and Flynn, Gregory, Moreton, Edwina and Treverton, Gregory, Public Images of Western Security (Paris, 1985)Google Scholar. Also Stuart, Douglas, ‘Western Europe’, in Segal, Gerald and Tow, William (eds.), Chinese Defence Policy (London, 1984)Google Scholar and Freedman, Lawrence, ‘The Triangle in Western Europe’, in Segal, Gerald (ed.), The China Factor (London, 1982)Google Scholar.

2. On Sino-Soviet relations in general see Segal, Gerald, ‘Sino-Soviet Relations After Mao's’ Adelphi Paper No. 202 (London, 1985)Google Scholar.

3. See generally Moreton, Edwina and Segal, Gerald (eds.), Soviet Strategy Towards Western Europe (London, 1984)Google Scholar.

4. Gregory Flynn and Hans Rattinger, ‘The Politics of Atlantic Defence’ in Flynn and Rattinger, The Public and Atlantic Defence, op. cit. note 1.

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7. Details in The Military Balance, 1984–5 (London, 1984)Google Scholar.

8. Gerald Segal, ‘The Soviet Union and the Triangle’ in Segal, The China Factor, op. cit. note 1.

9. The thesis of tacit arms control is developed by the contributors to Segal, Gerald (ed.), Arms Control in Asia (London, 1986)Google Scholar.

10. Yost, David, ‘Trance's Deterrent Posture and Security in Europe’, Adelphi Paper No. 194–5 (London, 1985)Google Scholar.

11. Baylis, John, Anglo-American Defence Relations (London, 1984)Google Scholar.

12. Segal, ‘Sino-Soviet Relations’, op. cit. note 2.

13. Stuart, ‘Western Europe’, in Segal and Tow, Chinese Defence Policy, op. cit. note 1, and Freedman, ‘The Triangle in Western Europe’, The China Factor, op. cit. note 1.

14. Peking Home Service, 5 August 1981 in British Broadcasting Corporation Summary of World Broadcasts, Far East (henceforth SWB), 6795, Al, 1. Also People's Daily, 22 February 1984, in No. 7577, Al, 1–2.

15. Xinhua, 2 June 1982; SWB, 7403, Al, 1 and Xinhua, 12 June 1984, in No. 7669, Al, 1, and BBC external news service on World Reporter (henceforth XNS), 1 May 1982.

16. People's Daily, 22 June 1982 in SWB, 7059, Al, 1, and Xinhua, 10 October 1983, in No. 7463, Al, 1, and The Guardian, 23 July 1984.

17. Shijie Jingji Daobao, 9 July 1984, in SWB, 7706, Al, 1–4.

18. People's Daily, 22 February 1984, in SWB, 7577, Al, 1–2.

19. Mitterrand's visit in May 1983, SWB, 7325, Al, 1–4. Zhao Ziyang's visit in May 1984 in No. 7659, Al, 1.

20. Karl Carsten's visit in Xinhua, 11 October 1982, in SWB, 7155, Al, 1–2. On the Kohl visit in October 1984 see The Guardian, 11 October 1984.

21. See note 13.

22. On Chinese reforms see The Economist, 8 June 1985. On east Europe see ‘Response to the Chinese Economic Reforms’, Radio Free Europe, Research Vol. 10 No. 10, 1985.

23. Angela Stent, ‘Economic Strategy’, in Moreton and Segal (eds.), Soviet Strategy, op. cit. note 3, and Segal, ‘Sino-Soviet Relations’, op. cit. note 20.

24. Segal, Gerald, ‘Sino-Soviet Detente: The Long and Winding Road’, in Communist Affairs (Summer, 1985).Google Scholar

25. For example Peking Home Service, 6 February 1981 in SWB, 6952, Al, 1 and People's Daily, 9 February 1981, in No. 6954, Al, 3.

26. See the Zhao meeting.with the EEC President in Xinhua, 5 June 1984, in SWB, 7665, Al, 2 and Xinhua, 12 June 1984, in No. 7669, Al, 1.

27. All details, The Military Balance, 1984–5, op. cit. note 7.

28. Segal, Gerald, Defending China (London, 1985)Google Scholar.

29. Jane Sharp, ‘Arms Control Strategies’, in Moreton and Segal (eds.), Soviet Strategy, op. cit. note 3.

30. Segal, Gerald, ‘China and Arms Control’, The World Today August, 1985Google Scholar.

31. People's Daily, 3 November 1984, in SWB, 7795, Al, 1.

32. Xinhua, 28 October 1983, in SWB, 7477, Al, 5, XSN, 23 December 1984, on British opposition to SDI and XSN, 27 September 1984, generally.

33. Zhao in France in May 1984, XSN, 30 May 1984, and the general Chinese view in XSN, 21 June 1984.

34. People's Daily, 17 September 1983, in SWB, 7442, A2, 1–2, and Chinese foreign ministry official quoted in XSN, 8 March 1983.

35. Xinhua, 12 June 1982, in SWB, 7651, Al, 1.