The second lecture in the “Autonomous Knowledge System Construction and New Perspectives in Area Studies” series, titled “The Theory of US Geostrategy and Application of its Policy to China,” was held in the School of International Studies, Peking University (PKU) on October 13. The seminar was led by Zhao Hai, director of the Department of International Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), and moderated by Lei Shaohua, associate professor of the School of International Studies, PKU. Prof. Zan Tao, deputy director of the Institute of Area Studies, Peking University (PKUIAS) and other faculty and students from various departments participated in the discussion.
Zhao Hai reviewed the thoughts of key figures in American geopolitics over the past 100 years. He analyzed the impact of historical geopolitical theories on the formulation of US diplomatic strategy and showed the fundamental logic of American geopolitics. Alfred Thayer Mahan’s “The Influence of Sea Power upon History: 1660-1783” in 1890 established the US’s unique geopolitical view of valuing sea power and defense beyond its homeland. Around 1942, N.J. Spykman highlighted the significance of the seas for development, emphasizing the importance of maintaining balance of power and controlling peripheral regions, laying the foundation for US hegemonic geopolitics. In 1947, George Kennan’s strategy of peaceful competition and containment became the geopolitical basis for the US Cold War against the Soviet Union. In the 1970s, Henry Kissinger and Zbigniew Brzezinski fostered the US-China-Russia triangle, marking the high point of US geopolitics.
Zhao Hai then shifted from theory to practical issues, discussing the current application of US geopolitical strategy. The island chain strategy is a crucial part of the US’s approach toward China. The US has maintained a significant military presence in the first island chain of Japan and South Korea. From the 1950s to the 1990s, the US maintained control over the island chain with air and sea superiority. However, China’s military technological advancements and island infrastructure development have disrupted the long-standing military balance in the region, deepening US concerns. Moreover, China’s “Belt and Road” initiative challenges both the US’s sphere of influence’s “heartland” and “periphery,” posing a serious geopolitical challenge. The US has been rallying allies like India and proposing initiatives like the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) in response.
Finally, Zhao Hai emphasized the need to pay attention to new changes in geopolitics brought about by technological advances, especially in outer space and cyberspace. The recent race to the moon and competition in space station and satellite positioning technology indicate an extension of geopolitical competition into outer space. The rapid development of the metaverse and artificial intelligence poses new challenges to national cyberspace security and public opinion warfare.
In the discussion after the lecture, Lei Shaohua and Zan Tao engaged with Zhao Hai on topics such as alliance expansion, the US-China competition track, and the gap between theory and reality. Participants also delved into the impact of geo-economics on China-US relations, Central Asia’s role in US global strategy, and strategic choices for US allies.
