Kangkyu Lee - Identity, Culture, and Chinese Foreign Policy: THAAD and China’s South Korea Policy

This book assesses the role of identity and Chinese face culture in Chinese foreign policy by analyzing Chinas political and economic retaliation against South Koreas deployment of the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) system on its soil.

By examining the history and military action of China, Japan, and North and South Korea, the book argues that Chinas divergent responses were caused by different expectations according to whether states had a perceived identity as a friend or a rival. The author demonstrates that Chinese face culture shapes Chinas reaction to others through three dynamics of seeking, saving, and losing face. This book shows how identity and culture have worked in the relationship between China and neighboring countries through three case studies exploring North Koreas Taepodong-2 missile launch and first nuclear test in 2006, South Koreas decision to allow the United States to deploy the THAAD around 2016, and Japans decision to deploy two U.S. X-band radars in 2005 and 2014.

A timely analysis of the importance of identity and culture in international relations, the book will be of interest to scholars of Chinese foreign policy, Sino-South Korean relations, Sino-North Korean relations, Sino-Japanese relations, Korean Politics, Asian Politics, and International Relations.

Kangkyu Lee is a research fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA), the Republic of Korea.

This series addresses the current strategic complexities of Asia and forecasts how these current complexities will shape Asias future. Bringing together empirical and conceptual analysis, the series examines critical aspects of Asian politics, with a particular focus on the current security and strategic complexities. The series includes academic studies from universities, research institutes and think-tanks and policy oriented studies. Focusing on security and strategic analysis on Asias current and future trajectory, this series welcomes submissions on relationship patterns (bilateral, trilateral and multilateral) in Indo-Pacific, regional and sub-regional institutions and mechanisms, corridors and connectivity, maritime security, infrastructure politics, trade and economic models and critical frontiers (boundaries, borders, bordering provinces) that are crucial to Asias future.

Between Equations and Equilibrium

Identifying the Priorities

Status Security at Stake

New Geopolitical Realities

The Future Political Trajectory

THAAD and Chinas South Korea Policy

URL: https://www.routledge.com/Routledge-Studies-on-Think-Asia/book-series/TA

First published 2021

by Routledge

2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN

and by Routledge

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2021 Kangkyu Lee

The right of Kangkyu Lee to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

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A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Names: Lee, Kangkyu, author.

Title: Identity, culture, and Chinese foreign policy : THAAD and Chinas South Korea policy / Kangkyu Lee.

Other titles: THAAD and Chinas South Korea policy

Description: London ; New York, NY : Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group, 2021. |

Series: Routledge studies on Think Asia | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020028490 | ISBN 9780367553302 (hardback) | ISBN 9781003095095 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: ChinaForeign relationsKorea (South) | Korea (South)Foreign relationsChina. | ChinaForeign relationsJapan. | JapanForeign relationsChina. | National securityChina. | National characteristics, Chinese. | Terminal High Altitude Area Defense Weapon System.

Classification: LCC DS779.47 .L44 2021 | DDC 327.5105195dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020028490

ISBN: 978-0-367-55330-2 (hbk)

ISBN: 978-1-003-09509-5 (ebk)

Typeset in Times New Roman

by codeMantra

This book would not have been completed without the support of many people. I am particularly indebted to professors at Seoul National University (SNU), my undergraduate and graduate school. Special thanks go to Yong-duk Kim and Jong-Ho Jeong, my advisors at SNU, for their unwavering support. I am appreciative of Young-Rok Cheong, Young Nam Cho, and Geun Lee for their intellectual inspiration. I would like to thank my professors and colleagues at the University of Denver. Above all, I express my sincere thanks to Suisheng Zhao, my dissertation director, for his continuous support and encouragement throughout my study in the United States. I am also deeply grateful to my committee members: Haider Khan, Paul Viotti, and David Goldfischer. Without their fruitful advice, this book would not have come into being. Also, I am indebted to the Honorable Christopher R. Hill for his warm support. Many thanks to Minsun Ji for her guidance during my stay in Colorado. I would like to recognize my excellent colleagues at the KIDA, too especially Jina Kim for her warm encouragement. I thank the editors at Routledge, including my friend Jagannath Panda, for helping me refine my manuscript. No words can fully express my gratitude to my grandmother Soon-rye Hong and my parents, Ki-Heung Lee and Song-in Sook, for their unconditional love. Most importantly, this book is dedicated to my beloved wife, Namhee Park, and my beautiful kids, Kyuhee and Taejay, who provide unending love, sacrifice, support, and encouragement.