Strategic psychology and the study of China's whole-of-nation strategy.

This article examines the foundational role of strategic psychology, rooted in ancient Chinese thought, in shaping the People's Republic of China's (PRC) global information operations as part of its whole-of-nation strategy to advance power without overt warfare. It highlights how China integrates military, foreign propaganda, and foreign affairs systems—each employing distinct psychological stratagems such as situation-shaping, confusion, and diplomatic subversion—to influence, divide, and weaken adversaries during peacetime. The study emphasizes that these information operations extend beyond military origins, involving a broad array of civilian and party-state actors coordinated under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Understanding this indigenous framework of strategic psychology is presented as essential for comprehending China's persistent and evolving use of pre- and non-kinetic tactics aimed at undermining liberal international norms and expanding its global influence.