Abstract: “Although the United States official foreign policy with China is engagement, several in China see the United States seeking to contain China's rise. External factors such as US policy around Asia, as well as Asian-Pacific nations foreign policy with China have not eased China's suspicions. However, while the CCP does not extend its belief in this perception, its policies have helped its flourishing within China. The factors that lead to this perception are geared towards a domestic audience, as opposed to foreign policy. With the “Chinese threat” rhetoric used in the US and an increase of nationalism after 1991, the CCP has been constrained in choosing how to maintain China's international relations while also securing its own legitimacy at home”

Keywords: Chinese, threat, containment, legitimacy nationalism, perception.