| Summary/Abstract |
In need of a friend to confront the Soviet Union, the United States turned a blind eye to Chinese political and social systems during the time of the Cold War, and the two became de facto allies, a perfect example for the traditional realist argument. The Carter Administration, critical of the Soviets’human rights situation, said little about China’s quite similar political system. The tune changed, however, shortly after the Cold War ended when China’s help was no longer needed and a rising China was thought to put the US in peril. “China Threat”was written in instead, and the theory became a bestseller. To counter, the US began supporting the theme of introducing democracy to rid China of its CPC leadership through peaceful means. Though the 9/11 tragedy delayed implementation, the partial end of the anti-terrorist war reinvigorated the idea. With a sophisticated design, mobilization of multiple forces, and push in all directions, the US masterplan turned out to be a major distraction for China. While immersed in managing economic development, Chinese leadership was forced to allocate huge resources to fend off these US attacks and maintain social stability. An analysis finds the activity to export democracy to China is being done by various entities including the White House, US Congress, non-governmental agencies especially the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), think tanks, universities, the media and religious organizations. Each performs unique functions.
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