4.

NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL AND FOREIGN POLICY MAKING (Week 4,

March 22)
Topic: National Security Council and foreign policy making
Class presentation: Case studies
Reading: 国家安全委员会在外交决策中的作用

基辛格《论中国》

The national security council 国家安全委员会

作用：
In general：The formulation of U.S. foreign policy involves different functional departments. As
one of the president’s important advisory groups, the National Security Council has a decisive
influence on assisting the president in formulating foreign policies and conducting foreign affairs
consultations.
It should be noted that the role of the National Security Council is not static. It has different roles
according to different historical periods. The evolution of the National Security Council can be
divided into three stages.
1. Early National Security Council as an advisory body 1. 作为咨询机构的早期国家安全委员会
（1947-1968）
Both Presidents Truman and Eisenhower rely more on powerful cabinet members, such as the
Secretary of State, to obtain intelligence and advice. Therefore, although the National Security
Council also provides intelligence and advice to the President, the Secretary of State is usually the
chief foreign policy spokesperson and presidential adviser. The National Security Council mainly
serves as an advisory and advisory body.
During Kennedy and Johnson's presidency, the role of the National Security Council itself further
declined, and the traditional role of the Cabinet, especially the State Council, was challenged by
the rising role of the National Security Affairs Assistant and the National Security Council.
After Lyndon Johnson succeeded Kennedy who was assassinated as president, many of his major
decisions, including many of the most important decisions about the Vietnam War, were made at
an informal "Tuesday lunch meeting" with his closest advisers. Specific matters related to foreign
policy were handed over to Secretary of Defense McNamara and Secretary of State Rusk. This
makes it difficult for the National Security Council to play an important role.
2. The expansion stage of the role of the National Security Council (1969-2000)
This mainly refers to the expansion of the role of the National Security Affairs Assistant and his
team.
President Nixon used the White House as the main tool for formulating foreign policy. This
situation gave Kissinger and the National Security Council team more room to play a role. As a
result, it became dependent on the National Security Assistant Kissinger instead of the state. The
highly centralized decision-making system of the safety committee itself.
In the formulation and operation of foreign policy, President Carter mainly relied on National
Security Affairs Assistant Brzezinski and Secretary of State Vance. Brzezinski is mainly
responsible for the activities of the various agencies within the National Security Council system.
Vance is the chief negotiator and the main spokesperson for the president's foreign policy. They
maintain close ties with the president and between them. This foreign policy mechanism worked
well in the first two years of the Carter administration, but from the third year of Carter’s
presidency, Brzezinski and Vance have not only increased their policy differences, but their
personal behavior styles have become even more different. Deepen this divergence.
Reagan basically adopted a reckless attitude towards the National Security Council, which
resulted in serious conflicts between the departments, which reached a fever pitch in the "Iran
Gate" scandal.
3. 重新确定以发挥协调作用为主的阶段 (2001 年初至现在) 3. Re-determining the stage to
play a coordinating role (early 2001 to now)
After George W. Bush assumed the presidency, Condoleezza Rice was appointed as National
Security Affairs Assistant. As soon as Rice took office, she reduced the staff of the National
Security Council by one-third and reorganized it. Rice said that she will not be the policy maker,
nor the specific policy implementer, and "we should not have two secretaries of state." She
believes that her main tasks are three: serving as a staff officer for President Bush and letting him
understand the situation, so as to ensure that Bush "plays his role" on diplomatic and security
issues; and comprehensively considering the guiding principles for foreign interference. While
advancing the strategic agenda of President Bush while major issues, and acting as a "faithful
middleman" when differences arise between major policy executors. [9] She pointed out that the
main task of the National Security Council’s work team is: “Fix the rifts, closely link the various
departments...and serve as the glue for the many departments and agencies deployed by the United
States on a global scale. Mixture."[10] This actually redefines the National Security Council’s
main coordinating role.

影响国家安全委员会作用的主要因素 Main factors affecting the

role of the National Security Council

1. The president's leadership style and leadership system. 1. 总统的领导风格和领导体制。

Generally speaking, the president of the United States has two main styles of leadership. One is
Eisenhower's style, that is, more attention is paid to the formal meetings of the National Security
Council, which mainly use such meetings to make decisions on national security affairs. The other
is Nixon-style, that is, decision-making is mainly based on consultations with the closest advisors
or a small informal advisory team, and the National Security Affairs Assistant is often one of the
main members.

不同的领导风格产生不同的领导体制。 虽然这两种类型的总统都是实行以白宫为中心 的国家

安全决策机制，但前一种类型总统的领 导体制更重视内阁有关部门，如国务院和国防 部的作
用;而后一种类型总统的领导体制更重 视国家安全事务助理和国家安全委员会工作班 子的作用。
Different leadership styles produce different leadership systems. Although these two types of
presidents implement national security decision-making mechanisms centered on the White
House, the leadership system of the former type of president pays more attention to the role of
relevant cabinet departments, such as the State Council and the Department of Defense; while the
leadership of the latter type pays more attention to the role of the National Security Affairs
Assistant and the National Security Council team.

2. The capacity and role of the National Security Assistant/advisor and his/her relationship with
the President
2. 国家安全事务助理的能力和作用及其与总统的关系
In addition to basic functions, the role of the National Security Council in US foreign policy is
mainly determined by the capacity of the President's National Security Affairs Assistant and the
close relationship with the President. So far, there have been two main types of national security
assistants: academics and military personnel (active or retired). Generally speaking, when a major
breakthrough in foreign policy is needed, scholars, such as Kissinger and Brzezinski 布热津斯基
, are more suitable. They are innovative, daring to break the old framework, and have a deep
theoretical depth. They are more able to cope with the news and media. The disadvantage is that
the coordination with relevant members of the cabinet is often not enough, and they tend to take
too much power. Soldiers are generally good at coordinating and strictly observing their duties,
but they have also abused their powers. Scowcroft, who served as the National Security Affairs
Assistant in the Bush Administration, is a military (retired air force lieutenant) and scholar (arms
control expert) type. He is now regarded by the Republican Party as a role model for national
security affairs assistants. He is characterized by a strategic vision, a low profile, and good
coordination.
The Assistant for National Security Affairs sees the President almost every day and is one of the
senior officials who meets the President more often than the Secretary of State. Generally
speaking, the National Security Affairs Assistant has a very close working relationship with the
President and is trusted by the President. The closeness of his or her relationship with the
president and the degree of trust he or she is trusted by the president are often directly proportional
to the role of the National Security Council in US foreign policy. If the President's trust in the
Assistant to National Security Affairs exceeds his trust in the Secretary of State, it is possible for
the National Security Council to master the procedures for formulating foreign policy (or some of
its important policies).
3、 Capabilities and roles of relevant ministers in the cabinet 3. 内阁有关部长的能力和作用
This mainly refers to the abilities and roles of the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense
who are closely related to the National Security Articles. Especially if the Secretary of State is
weak, the procedures for formulating foreign policy are often controlled by the National Security
Council. If the secretary of state is highly respected and capable, the procedures for formulating
foreign policy are often controlled by the State Council. The Secretary of Defense can also express
his opinions on the policy recommendations put forward by the National Security Affairs
Assistant, which has a certain restrictive effect. In the George W. Bush administration, due to the
special status of Secretary of State Powell, the State Department controls the procedures for
formulating foreign policy. But Vice President Cheney and Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld also
have a great influence on the formulation of foreign policy. President Bush even expressed the
hope that Cheney and his advisers (previously called the Small National Security Council) will
fully participate in the formulation of national security policies. Condoleezza Rice, National
Security Affairs Assistant, has a relatively junior qualifications and mainly plays a coordinating
role.

美国国家安全委员会 在美国对外和对华政策中的作用

The role of the U.S. National Security Council in its foreign

policies towards China

1. 参与制定对华政策 participate in formulating or making foreign

policies towards China

During the period of President Nixon, his China policy was

formulated mainly by the National Security Affairs Assistant
Kissinger and the working team of the National Security Council.
The State Council only played a certain auxiliary role. As soon as
Nixon assumed the presidency, he immediately instructed: to
conduct research on US policy to determine whether it is advisable
for the US to change its China policy; if so, what steps can be
taken to implement this change. The task force of the National
Security Council, established and in charge of Kissinger, was
instructed to conduct this research. His research report is
included in a series of documents in the National Security
Research Memorandum (NSSM) and the National Security Decision
Memorandum (NSDM). The topics and conditions of each research
project in this series of documents are proposed by the National
Security Council, supervised and guided by a high-level inter-
ministerial group (SIG), and a representative of the State Council
serves as the chairman of the group. Most of the policies and
measures taken by the Nixon administration to open the door to
relations with China were made after such research.

Under President Carter, his China policy was jointly formulated by

the National Security Council and the State Council. After 1978,
National Security Affairs Assistant Brzezinski and the National
Security Council played a major role in participating in the
formulation of this policy. Soon after taking office, the Carter
administration began to conduct an internal assessment of its
China policy and the prospects for establishing diplomatic
relations with China. The leader of this internal evaluation was
Brzezinski, and two officials from the State Security Council,
 Oksenberg and the State Council, participated. The evaluation was
conducted in accordance with Order No. 24 of the President’s
Research Memorandum. In 1978, because Brzezinski, who advocated
the rapid normalization of relations with China, defeated the
opposition of Secretary of State Vance, the initiative of the
United States to formulate policies and procedures toward China
was transferred to Brzezinski and the National Security Council.
Brzezinski became the first person to solicit opinions when
President Carter formulated his China policy and foreign policy,
and he also became the first executor considered by the president
when implementing his policy.

Under President Clinton, the procedures for formulating China

policy were controlled by the National Security Council. For
example, the plans and arrangements for President Clinton's visit
to China in 1997 were mainly implemented by the National Security
Council. In the process of the Clinton administration formulating
its China policy, Lake and Berger, who served successively as
assistants for national security affairs, and Li Kanru, senior
director of Asian affairs of the National Security Council, played
important roles.

2. 国家安全事务助理在中美关系的关键 时刻作为特使访华 2. The National Security

Affairs Assistant visits China as a special envoy at a critical moment in Sino-US
relations

Since Kissinger's visit to China in 1971, at some critical moments in

Sino-US relations, the US president usually dispatched national
security affairs assistants to visit Beijing to directly meet with
China's most senior leaders to solve some major and difficult issues.
The reasons are as follows: First, the president often thinks that it
is difficult for the State Department and other bureaucracies to take
major initiatives to break through existing policies. For example,
both Nixon and Kissinger "do not believe that the bureaucracy can
take major policy initiatives, believing that it is too obstructive,
obstructive, and easy to leak secrets." The National Security Affairs
Assistant is accountable to the President himself, has a close
relationship with the President, can correctly understand and convey
the President's own opinions, and can take major policy initiatives
in accordance with the President's own instructions. The second is
conducive to keeping secrets. For example, due to the importance of
the matter, Kissinger did not let the State Council know at all when
preparing and conducting his first visit to China.
In terms of effects, these visits have achieved important results and
promoted the improvement and development of Sino-US relations. The
most important of these are four times:

In July 1971, President Nixon dispatched National Security Affairs

Assistant Kissinger to visit Beijing and made a dramatic breakthrough
in opening the door to Sino-US relations.

In 1978, President Carter disregarded the opposition of the State

Council and approved the National Security Affairs Assistant
Brzezinski's visit to China. During Brzezinski’s visit to China in
May of the same year, he was ordered to tell the Chinese that the
Carter administration hopes to accelerate the normalization of
relations between the two countries and is willing to accept all
three conditions of China for this purpose, namely that the United
States will sever diplomatic relations with Taiwan. , Abolish the
contract, and withdraw troops. Brzezinski told Deng Xiaoping: "The
president has decided to normalize relations with the People's
Republic of China." He was also ordered to tell China that the United
States is determined to resist Soviet expansion. Brzezinski's visit
to Huawei made important contributions to the normalization of Sino-
US relations.

In March 1996, China conducted missile launch training and military

exercises in the Taiwan Strait, but the United States sent two
aircraft carrier formations to demonstrations in the waters near
Taiwan. This practice of the United States intensified tensions and
grossly interfered in China's internal affairs, resulting in a cold
relationship between China and the United States. China postponed the
visit of senior military leaders to the United States. In July of the
same year, President Clinton dispatched National Security Affairs
Assistant Lake to visit China. This is the highest-level official
from the United States to visit China since 1994. Lake's visit to
China is an important diplomatic action taken by the Clinton
administration to fight for re-election and stabilize Sino-US
relations during the election year. It is also a specific action
taken by the US to strengthen high-level contacts with China. During
Lake's visit to Beijing, the two sides re-arranged the visit to the
United States by senior Chinese military leaders. Lake's visit to
Huawei contributed to the improvement and development of Sino-US
relations during the second term of President Clinton.

3. 参加中美关系中的危机管理 3. Participate in crisis management in China-US

relations
Since the 1990s, Sino-US relations have repeatedly experienced crises
or events close to crises, such as the Taiwan Strait crisis in 1996.
In these crises or incidents, the National Security Affairs Assistant
and the National Security Council team play an important role in
informing the President of the latest trends in the crisis or
incident, accepting the President’s consultation, participating in
decision-making, and coordinating actions. The president sometimes
holds meetings of the National Security Council to discuss crisis
management.

起的作用受到总统的影响，与总统的关系是密不可分的；一直处于变化之中
国家安全顾问的作用、优势
产生的一些问题