HONOLULU -- The 2006 National Security Strategy (NSS) document has just been released. News coverage has focused on one word: preemption. Largely overlooked has been the much greater emphasis on the promotion of democracy as the primary objective of American foreign policy in the second administration of President George W. Bush. How far and fast China proceeds down the path toward democracy will have a major bearing on future relations between Washington and Beijing.
Yes, the "P" word is still there. It appears a grand total of five times, all in the chapter titled "Prevent Our Enemies from Threatening Us, Our Allies, and Our Friends with Weapons of Mass Destruction." The United States, the document asserts, "will, if necessary, act preemptively in exercising our inherent right of self-defense."
There are important caveats, however. It notes that the U.S. "will not resort to force in all cases to preempt emerging threats," stating instead a strong preference for "nonmilitary actions." It also warns that "no country should ever use preemption as a pretext for aggression." The NSS pledges that the U.S. "will always proceed deliberately, weighing the consequences of our actions. The reasons for our actions will be clear, the force measured, and the cause just," it asserts, further stressing that international diplomacy remains the primary means of dealing with potential threats to national security.