Constraining Unipolarity } 549
this perspective, China’s partnerships can be seen as attempts to weaken US
ability to use its influence to mobilize an anti-China coalition.
Partnerships were explicitly intended to counter what China dubbed “Cold
War mentality,” according to which pernicious distinctions were made among
1996 Russia Strategic Cooperative Partnership
1996 Brazil Long-term, Stable Strategic Partnership
1997 France Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
1997 ASEAN Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity
1997 Canada Comprehensive Partnership for the 20th & 21st Centuries
1997 United States Will “work toward” Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
1997 Mexico Comprehensive Partnership Facing the 21st Century
1997 India Partnership of Constructive Cooperation
1998 Pakistan Partnership of Comprehensive and Cooperation for 21st Century
1998 Japan Partnership of Friendship and Cooperation for 20th and 21st
Centuries
1998 European Union Constructive Partnership of long term and stability
1998 United Kingdom Comprehensive Partnership
1999 Saudi Arabia Relation of Strategic Cooperation Facing 21st Century
1999 Egypt Relation of Strategic Cooperation Facing 21st Century
1999 South Africa Constructive Partnership Facing 21st Century
2000 Iran 21st century oriented long-term and wide-ranging relationship
of friendship and cooperation in the strategic interest of the
two countries*
2000 Africa Strategic Partnership for Sustainable Development
2003 Mexico Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
2003 E.U. Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
2004 South Africa Strategic Partnership
2004 United Kingdom Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
2004 Italy Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
2004 Nigeria Strategic Partnership
2004 Algeria Strategic Partnership
2004 Germany Global Responsible Partnership within framework of PRC–EU
Strategic Partnership
2005 India Strategic and Cooperative Partnership for Peace and Prosperity
2005 Argentina Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
2005 Venez uela Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
2005 Kazakhstan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
2005 Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
2005 Canada Strategic Partnership
2005 Portugal All Round Strategic Partnership
FIGU R E 20-2 China’s Strategic Partnerships, 1996–2005
Sources: Joseph Y. S. Cheng, Zhang Wankun, “Patterns and Dynamics of China’s International Strategic
Behav ior,” Journal of Contemporary China, vol. 11, no. 31 (2002), p. 237. Phillip C. Saunders, China’s Global
Activism: Strategy, Drivers, and Tools, Occasional Paper #4 National Institute for Strategic Studies, National
Defense University, p.13.
*“China, Iran Joint Communique,” People’s Daily, June 22, 2000. http://en.people.cn/English/200006/22/
eng20000622_43708.html. This obtuse phraseology is typical of the wariness with which Beijing handles
relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran.