Threat and foreign policy: US foreign policy towards China during Obama period (2009-2016)

This study focuses on the subject of how states determine their foreign policy behaviour. In this respect, two hypotheses are claimed in the study. The first hypothesis argues that states determine their foreign policy behaviour in response to their threat perceptions. As a result of this, states which perceive threat apply realist foreign policy behaviour against the threatening state. As the second hypothesis, it is argued that intra-state variables also shape foreign policy behaviour of states and unified positions against systemic pressures of foreign policy executive in a state facilitate determining certain foreign policy behaviour. In order to test these hypotheses, case study method is used and U.S. foreign policy behaviour towards China is analysed. As the first case, gradual increase of Chinese military expenditures and modernization in the post-2008 period is examined. As the second case, regional sovereignty claims of China in the same period is examined. As a result of these examined cases, it is concluded that United States perceive threat from Chinese foreign policy behaviours during Obama period and U.S. applied containment strategy as a realist foreign policy behaviour towards China. Keywords: Threat, Foreign Policy, Foreign policy executive, U.S., China