China often sends mixed signals in its foreign and security policy. In maritime disputes, Beijing combines coercive pressure with diplomatic reassurance. In economic statecraft, it promises openness while tightening controls over data, critical minerals, and advanced technologies. In response to the Russia–Ukraine war, it maintains strategic alignment with Russia while preserving diplomatic distance on sovereignty, escalation, and global credibility. This Element explains these patterns through strategic dualities: enduring tensions between indispensable yet partially incompatible imperatives that leaders must manage rather than resolve. It argues that mixed signals are not simply signs of policy incoherence or bureaucratic fragmentation, but patterned responses to international pressures filtered through domestic politics and elite perceptions. Through three cases, the Element shows how Beijing uses mixed signaling to manage tensions between sovereignty and stability, openness and security, and partnership and credibility. It also clarifies the relationship among mixed signals, noise, and domestic fragmentation.