By observing Beijing’s assertive military posturing in the South China Sea, its track record of economic coercion and its sweeping internal crackdowns, it is easy for Western policymakers to conclude that China is simply a hostile, revisionist power bent on global domination.But this caricature is dangerously incomplete. To effectively manage the defining geopolitical contest of the 21st century, the West must engage in “cognitive empathy,” the strategic practice of stepping into an adversary’s shoes to understand how it perceives the world.Exercising cognitive empathy does not mean drinking the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) Kool-Aid, nor does it mean excusing Beijing’s transgressions. Rather, it is a cold, analytical tool. When we view the world through Beijing’s eyes, we discover that China’s behavior is driven by a potent cocktail: first, a deep-seated insecurity about its own regime; second, a profound misinterpretation of the West; and third, a highly rational, albeit ruthless, assessment of the geopolitical chessboard.