Dr. Michael Pillsbury offered an overview of U.S.-Chinese relations.  He pointed out that one of the dangers he sees is that the U.S. Administration tends to underestimate the growing power of China and China's interest in becoming a major military power.  The Chinese Communist leaders see the world in a 20-year perspective with China the #1 world power, followed by the U.S., Germany, Japan and Russia.  This implies that the Chinese leadership is convinced that America is on the decline as a world power.

Dr. Pillsbury recently returned from Taiwan and reported that the Taiwanese Government foresees negotiations with mainland China only on an equal basis.   On the other hand, Peking refuses to acknowledge Taiwan as its equal and treats them as a runaway province.  Dr. Pillsbury was quite critical when he mentioned that some circles in Washington consider China to be our "strategic partner," almost our ally.  He pointed out that much confusion exists in U.S.- China relations today, but he sees China as the "greatest strategic challenge to the U.S."

In conclusion, Dr. Pillsbury emphasized the need to understand China and the Chinese leadership's real intentions, which is what Dr. Pillsbury is working on at present.