Abstract
A state with virtually no boundaries, permanent population, and strong government did not make sense; yet, Mao Zedong remained resilient in his conviction to create and rule his state in this fashion. He had a government, eager to launch an array of reforms and bring change in society. His was a China conceived within the greater China that had existed after the Warring States’ period. A moveable China, however, was eager to forge relations with other parties and states. What remained important for Mao was the task of ensuring the survival and existence of the China he had conceived. Fear and ambition shaped his thoughts, for fear generated ambition. At times, therefore, his targets changed. Nothing was impossible, ranging from negotiations with Nationalists to war with them. Mao’s China remained a movable agent with him as the head of the government and the party that ruled it.
Keyword(s)
Sulmaan Wasif Khan, Haunted by Chaos, China’s Grand Strategy, Mao Zedong, Xi Jinping