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Policy Impacts of the Department of Defense Office of Net Assessment on Sino-U.S. Soft Power Competition in Africa

Year 2024, Volume: 6 Issue: 1, 38 - 66, 01.05.2024

Matteo Garofalo

https://doi.org/10.53451/ijps.1329448

Abstract

The Strategic Consequences of Chinese Racism is a book-length academic research article commissioned by Andrew Marshal, director of the Department of Defense Office of Net Assessment (ONA). Owing to the significant policymaking power of ONA, Strategic Consequences indicates potential soft-power tactics in use by the Pentagon in countering Chinese influence in Africa. This paper examines Strategic Consequences’ three key arguments. This paper examines the argument that Chinese society is more racist than U.S. society and finds this argument is likely correct. This paper examines the argument that Chinese racism is a stabilizing force for the Chinese government and finds this argument is likely correct. Finally, this paper examines the argument that U.S. anti-racist culture acts as a useful tool of soft-power influence in Africa, and finds this argument is likely incorrect. This paper concludes that ONA has accurately gauged the strategic value of Chinese racism for the Chinese government but overestimates the U.S. capacity to counter China in the field of soft power competition.

Keywords

Afrika Irkçılık karşıtlığı Çin Grup içi tercih Irkçılık Yumuşak güç rekabeti Amerika Birleşik Devletleri

References

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  • Dinesen, P., Schaeffer, M., & Sønderskov, K. (2020). Ethnic Diversity and Social Trust: A Narrative and Meta-Analytical Review. Annual Review of Political Science, 23. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.20314.70081
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  • GovTribe. (2022). Thayer Limited, LLC. https://govtribe.com/vendors/thayer-limited-llc-5whe5 Guo, Z., Guo, R., Xu, C., & Wu, Z. (2022). Reflexive or Reflective? Group Bias in Third-Party Punishment in Chinese and Western Cultures. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 100, 104284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2022.104284
  • Hsleh, E. (2011, May 11). Following Obama, Students Define “Black” on Ivy League Campuses. The Huffington Post. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/barack-obama-has-broken-r_b_217965
  • Jin, X., Bolt, G., & Hooimeijer, P. (2021). Africans in Guangzhou: Is the Ethnic Enclave Model Applicable in the Chinese Context? Cities, 117, 103320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2021.103320
  • Kokkonen, A., Esaiasson, P., & Gilljam, M. (2014). Migration-based Ethnic Diversity and Social Trust: A Multilevel Analysis of How Country, Neighbourhood and Workplace Diversity Affects Social Trust in 22 Countries. Scandinavian Political Studies, 37(3), 263–300. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9477.12027
  • Krepinevich, A., & Watts, B. (2015). The Last Warrior: Andrew Marshall and the Shaping of Modern American Defense Strategy (1st ed.). Basic Books.
  • Krepinevich, A.. (2019, April 19). Measures of Power: On the Lasting Value of Net Assessment. Foreign Affairs. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/china/2019-04-19/measures-power
  • Lan, S. (2016). The Shifting Meanings of Race in China: A Case Study of the African Diaspora Communities in Guangzhou. City and Society, 28(3), 298–318. https://doi.org/10.1111/ciso.12094
  • Lee, Y. (1993). Ingroup Preference and Homogeneity Among African American and Chinese American Students. The Journal of Social Psychology, 133(2), 225–235. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.1993.9712140
  • Liu, T., & Deng, Z. (2020). “They’ve Made our Blood Ties Black”: On the Burst of Online Racism Towards the African in China’s Social Media. Critical Arts, 34(2), 104–107. https://doi.org/10.1080/02560046.2020.1717567
  • Maddrell, D. (2003, May 3). Quiet Transformation: The Role of the Office of Net Assessment. National Defense University. https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA441633.pdf
  • Mattis, P. (2011, October 31). China’s Misunderstood Spies. The Diplomat. https://thediplomat.com/2011/10/chinas-misunderstood-spies/
  • Miller, C. (2020, December 17). Memorandum for Senior Pentagon Leadership. U.S. Department of Defense. https://media.defense.gov/2020/Dec/18/2002554854/-1/-1/0/ACTIONS-TO-IMPROVE-RACIAL-AND-ETHNIC-DIVERSITY-AND-INCLUSION-IN-THE-U.S.-MILITARY.PDF
  • Mutesa, M. (2017). Neo-Racism in China: Reasons for China’s Otherwise Inexplicable Modern-Day Racism. Language in India, 17(12), 256–262
  • Pew Research Center. (2020, January 8). U.S. Image Generally Favorable Around the World, but Mixed in Some Countries. https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2020/01/08/u-s-image-generally-favorable-around-the-world-but-mixed-in-some-countries/#:~:text=Across%20the%20three%20sub-Saharan%20African%20countries%20surveyed%2C%20views,60%25%20respectively%29%20say%20they%20view%20the%20U.S.%20positively
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  • United States Census Bureau. (2020). Asian Alone or in Combination with One or More Races, and with One or More Asian Categories for Selected Groups. Universe: Total Asian categories tallied and people with no specific Asian category reported. https://archive.ph/20200212213039/http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml#selection-263.0-269.92
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Policy Impacts of the Department of Defense Office of Net Assessment on Sino-U.S. Soft Power Competition in Africa

Year 2024, Volume: 6 Issue: 1, 38 - 66, 01.05.2024

Matteo Garofalo

https://doi.org/10.53451/ijps.1329448

Abstract

The Strategic Consequences of Chinese Racism: A Strategic Asymmetry for the United States is a book-length academic research article written by Dr. Bradley Thayer and commissioned by Andrew Marshal, director of the Department of Defense Office of Net Assessment (ONA). Owing to both the significant policymaking power of the ONA, as well as the unique topic of the article, it is the belief of this author that Strategic Consequences is in need of examination by the international community. This paper is the first known academic investigation of Strategic Consequences and seeks to provide a critical lens of analysis. This paper examines the three most significant arguments made by Thayer and cross-examines them against existing datasets and literature to determine their relative degree of veracity. First, this paper examines Thayer’s argument that Chinese society is more racist than U.S. society, and finds that this argument is likely correct. Second, this paper examines Thayer’s argument that Chinese racism acts as a stabilizing force for the Chinese government, and finds that this argument is also likely correct. Finally, this paper examines Thayer’s argument that U.S. anti-racist culture acts as a useful tool of soft-power influence in Africa, and finds that this argument is likely incorrect.

Keywords

Africa Anti-racism China In-group preference Racism Soft power competition United States

References

  • Abdulla, M., & Shamseden, Z. (2021). The Rise of Xenophobia and the Uyghur-China Situation. Social Research, 88(4), 949–972.
  • American National Elections Studies. (2019). 2018 Pilot Study. https://electionstudies.org/data-center/2018-pilot-study/
  • Ang, I. (2021). On the Perils of Racialized Chineseness: Race, Nation and Entangled Racisms in China and Southeast Asia. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 45(4), 757–777. https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2021.1990979
  • Author Unknown. (2013, January 7). The Strategic Consequences of Chinese Racism: A Strategic Asymmetry for the United States. United States Department of Defense, Office of Net Assessment. https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/FOID/Reading%20Room/Litigation_Release/Litigation%20Release%20-%20The%20Strategic%20Consequences%20of%20Chinese%20Racism%20%20201301.pdf
  • Austin, L. (2021, December 20). Report on Countering Extremist Activity Within the Department of Defense. U.S. Department of Defense. https://media.defense.gov/2021/Dec/20/2002912573/-1/-1/0/REPORT-ON-COUNTERING-EXTREMIST-ACTIVITY-WITHIN-THE-DEPARTMENT-OF-DEFENSE.PDF
  • Beugelsdijk, S., & Klasing, M. (2016). Diversity and Trust: The Role of Shared Values. Journal of Comparative Economics, 44(3), 522–540. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jce.2015.10.014
  • Carrico, K. (2022). Discourses of Race and Rising China. China Journal, 88, 189–191. https://doi.org/10.1086/720197
  • Castillo, R. (2020). “Race” and “Racism” in Contemporary Africa-China Relations Research: Approaches, Controversies and Reflections. Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, 21(3), 310–336. https://doi.org/10.1080/14649373.2020.1796343
  • Cunningham, E., Saich, T., & Turiel, J. (2020, July). Understanding CCP Resilience: Surveying Chinese Public Opinion Through Time. Harvard Kennedy School, Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. https://ash.harvard.edu/files/ash/files/final_policy_brief_7.6.2020.pdf
  • Dinesen, P., Schaeffer, M., & Sønderskov, K. (2020). Ethnic Diversity and Social Trust: A Narrative and Meta-Analytical Review. Annual Review of Political Science, 23. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.20314.70081
  • Edwards, L. (2021, December 28). How Reagan Doctrine Brought Down the Evil Empire. The Heritage Foundation. https://www.heritage.org/conservatism/commentary/how-reagan-doctrine-brought-down-the-evil-empire
  • Elliott, J. (2009, March 10). Inside the Pentagon’s Idea Factory: The Office of Net Assessment. Talking Points Memo. https://web.archive.org/web/20130515022119/http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/03/inside_the_pentagons_idea_factory_office_of_net_as.php#more
  • Encyclopedia.com. (2022). Thayer, Bradley A. Encyclopedia.com. https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/thayer-bradley
  • Feng, J. (2021, November 11). Chinese Communist Party Will Outlive United States: State Media Editor. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/chinese-communist-party-outlive-united-states-global-times-media-editor-1653231
  • Gallup. (2020). Rating World Leaders. https://www.gallup.com/analytics/355787/gallup-rating-world-leaders-report.aspx?thank-you-report-form=1
  • Garamore, J. (2020, July 9). No Place for Racism, Discrimination in U.S. Military, Milley Says. U.S. Department of Defense. https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/2269438/no-place-for-racism-discrimination-in-us-military-milley-says/
  • GoArmy. (2021, May 4). RICKIE | THE CALLING | GOARMY [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWo5-pFrjNg
  • Google. (2022). Strategic Consequences of Chinese Racism. https://www.google.com/search?q="Strategic+Consequences+of+Chinese+Racism"&tbs=cdr:1,cd_min:1/1/2017,cd_max:1/1/2022&sxsrf=ALiCzsZ6oiJW7JJ0Q2y35h_YtVtmabv7vg:1669926072933&ei=uAyJY9-7OMHY5NoP4c67wAw&start=0&sa=N&filter=0&ved=2ahUKEwjf94Kzn9n7AhVBLFkFHWHnDsg4ChDy0wN6BAgFEAQ&biw=1920&bih=962&dpr=1
  • GovTribe. (2022). Thayer Limited, LLC. https://govtribe.com/vendors/thayer-limited-llc-5whe5 Guo, Z., Guo, R., Xu, C., & Wu, Z. (2022). Reflexive or Reflective? Group Bias in Third-Party Punishment in Chinese and Western Cultures. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 100, 104284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2022.104284
  • Hsleh, E. (2011, May 11). Following Obama, Students Define “Black” on Ivy League Campuses. The Huffington Post. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/barack-obama-has-broken-r_b_217965
  • Jin, X., Bolt, G., & Hooimeijer, P. (2021). Africans in Guangzhou: Is the Ethnic Enclave Model Applicable in the Chinese Context? Cities, 117, 103320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2021.103320
  • Kokkonen, A., Esaiasson, P., & Gilljam, M. (2014). Migration-based Ethnic Diversity and Social Trust: A Multilevel Analysis of How Country, Neighbourhood and Workplace Diversity Affects Social Trust in 22 Countries. Scandinavian Political Studies, 37(3), 263–300. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9477.12027
  • Krepinevich, A., & Watts, B. (2015). The Last Warrior: Andrew Marshall and the Shaping of Modern American Defense Strategy (1st ed.). Basic Books.
  • Krepinevich, A.. (2019, April 19). Measures of Power: On the Lasting Value of Net Assessment. Foreign Affairs. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/china/2019-04-19/measures-power
  • Lan, S. (2016). The Shifting Meanings of Race in China: A Case Study of the African Diaspora Communities in Guangzhou. City and Society, 28(3), 298–318. https://doi.org/10.1111/ciso.12094
  • Lee, Y. (1993). Ingroup Preference and Homogeneity Among African American and Chinese American Students. The Journal of Social Psychology, 133(2), 225–235. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.1993.9712140
  • Liu, T., & Deng, Z. (2020). “They’ve Made our Blood Ties Black”: On the Burst of Online Racism Towards the African in China’s Social Media. Critical Arts, 34(2), 104–107. https://doi.org/10.1080/02560046.2020.1717567
  • Maddrell, D. (2003, May 3). Quiet Transformation: The Role of the Office of Net Assessment. National Defense University. https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA441633.pdf
  • Mattis, P. (2011, October 31). China’s Misunderstood Spies. The Diplomat. https://thediplomat.com/2011/10/chinas-misunderstood-spies/
  • Miller, C. (2020, December 17). Memorandum for Senior Pentagon Leadership. U.S. Department of Defense. https://media.defense.gov/2020/Dec/18/2002554854/-1/-1/0/ACTIONS-TO-IMPROVE-RACIAL-AND-ETHNIC-DIVERSITY-AND-INCLUSION-IN-THE-U.S.-MILITARY.PDF
  • Mutesa, M. (2017). Neo-Racism in China: Reasons for China’s Otherwise Inexplicable Modern-Day Racism. Language in India, 17(12), 256–262
  • Pew Research Center. (2020, January 8). U.S. Image Generally Favorable Around the World, but Mixed in Some Countries. https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2020/01/08/u-s-image-generally-favorable-around-the-world-but-mixed-in-some-countries/#:~:text=Across%20the%20three%20sub-Saharan%20African%20countries%20surveyed%2C%20views,60%25%20respectively%29%20say%20they%20view%20the%20U.S.%20positively
  • Pew Research Center. (2022, June 6). Public Trust in Government: 1958-2022. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2022/06/06/public-trust-in-government-1958-2022/
  • s_decatur. (2022, February 6). Thread. Twitter. https://twitter.com/s_decatur/status/1490408671779729425
  • Samuelson, P., & Nordhaus, W. (1989). Economics (14th edition). McGraw-Hill Inc., US.
  • United States Census Bureau. (2020). Asian Alone or in Combination with One or More Races, and with One or More Asian Categories for Selected Groups. Universe: Total Asian categories tallied and people with no specific Asian category reported. https://archive.ph/20200212213039/http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml#selection-263.0-269.92
  • United States Department of Defense. (2017, February 26). Litigation Release. Washington Headquarters Service. https://www.esd.whs.mil/FOIA/Reading-Room/Reading-Room-List_2/Litigation_Release/
  • United States Department of Justice. (2022). Freedom of Information Act Guide, May 2004. https://www.justice.gov/archives/oip/foia-guide-2004-edition-exemption-7c
  • United States Department of Labor. (2021). Median Annual Earnings by Sex, Race and Hispanic Ethnicity. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/wb/data/earnings/median-annual-sex-race-hispanic-ethnicity
  • Ziller, C. (2014). Ethnic Diversity, Economic and Cultural Contexts, and Social Trust: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Evidence from European Regions, 2002–2010. Social Forces, 93(3), 1211–1240. https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/sou088
There are 40 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects African Studies, American Studies, Studies of Asian Society
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Matteo Garofalo 0000-0002-8492-9575

Publication Date May 1, 2024
Submission Date July 18, 2023
Acceptance Date January 12, 2024
Published in Issue Year 2024 Volume: 6 Issue: 1

Cite

Chicago Garofalo, Matteo. “Policy Impacts of the Department of Defense Office of Net Assessment on Sino-U.S. Soft Power Competition in Africa”. International Journal of Politics and Security 6, no. 1 (May 2024): 38-66. https://doi.org/10.53451/ijps.1329448.
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