One China, Many Voices

"One China, many voices" is a play on Deng Xiaoping's policy "One Country, two governments" which was the proposed structure for reintegrating British controlled Hong Kong into mainland China and continues to be the proposed Chinese solution to the Taiwan crisis. In contrast, "One China, many voices" seeks to show that China is not a monolithic entity composed of unthinking automatons, but rather a diverse culture comprised of many groups and individuals, which have discursive power. Based on this thesis, the paper makes three main points, which should help guide Air Force policy makers in developing relationships with China. First, the Air Force needs to increase both linguistic skills and cultural awareness training in a semiotic fashion, which should include military exchanges at PME schools. Second, Air Force training must place greater emphasis on Chinese culture awareness given American interests in spreading democracy at the risk of appearing imperialistic. Improved understanding of cultural connections and disconnects has the potential to avert a future East Asia crisis. The Air Force must take action now to rebalance the focus between modern Middle Eastern concerns and a future conflict with China. Third, in order to understand Chinese culture best, the Air Force must understand the nature of the multiple voices, which have discursive authority on China. Historically, one of the most knowledgeable, vocal, and accessible groups is China's intellectual community. iii