Interoffice Memorandum [Recipient Name] MEETING THE CHINA CHALLENGE: Discussing the possibility of China and the United States escaping Thucydides' Trap.

Relevant National Interests.

Vital. Prevent China and the U.S. going to war; ensure a continual alliance between China and U.S. governments.

Extremely Important. Protect U.S. citizens, embassies, personnel and other significant U.S. infrastructure within areas facing potential attack, including cyber-attacks; limit access to sensitive data and restrict the flow of information from the U.S. to China as well as regulation of airport and immigration policies.

Important. Prevent sabotage and espionage by utilization of white hat hackers and U.S. Intelligence Agencies. Continual leaking of information will hurt the U.S. government in the long run.

Analysis. China is a growing world power. Within a few decades it has generated a surge in both wealth and productivity. China has become the country that manufacturers virtually everything, from appliances to important factory equipment, and hospital equipment. As China grows in power, it may soon rival that of the U.S. When a rising power rivals an established power, from the perspective of history and Thucydides's Trap, it will result in war. Even when four out of the sixteen known cases of Thucydides's Trap did not result in war, it took a great deal of compromise and adjustments in attitudes for both countries to evade war.

China has grown from possessing a small and weak economy to a large and powerful one. They surpass in every benchmark. They have grown and expanded so much in the last few decades, that in the next few decades, they may become the next main world power.

Capacity and Governance. China has grown in capacity and imports many of the products the U.S. uses. President Xi shifted China's policies from the "hide your strength" policies to more aggressive and assertive ones.

Integration Efforts. For four decades the U.S. has pursued an engagement approach toward China. Every President during these last four decades has attempted to assimilate China into the global...

Integration has been, is, and will be one of the most important goals for American foreign policy and has proven to be successful following World War II. The unstable allegiance has allowed Asia-Pacific nations to focus not on strategic competition abroad, but on economic development instead.
China's Economic Growth. In less than four decades, China has become an upper-middle-income country. The surge in economic development has allowed China to expand foreign policy ambitions as well as military capabilities. Soon they may become a threat to the U.S. military in relation to military technology and military intelligence. Although it can be considered natural expansion, China's expansion is a threat. China's leaders work and experiment to build the global environment to meet the needs of China and exist in China's favor. However, some of China's new assertiveness are centered on Beijing with some areas constructive towards China-U.S. relations.

Operational Objectives.

Short-Term

Assist in creating stronger barriers against cyber espionage. China cannot gain any more access to personnel files. The U.S. cannot allow China to continuing stealing intellectual property.

Secure continual alliance with China and develop a tactical strategy for China's problematic behavior.

Improve IT security and information sharing among U.S. staff and government officials.

Restrict access to any and all personnel files, especially online access.

Provide a tactical strategy to handle China's new assertiveness in foreign policy.

Long-Term

Build U.S. foreign policy with China

Degrade China cyber espionage capabilities

Strategic Options.

1. Integration of China. China is a quickly growing nation both in size and economic power. U.S. must pursue an approach with China that includes integration into the international community.

Pros: It will provide U.S. with a way to persuade China to act in a manner that is consistent with international norms and U.S. interests. It will allow China to become adjusted to…