International System in Transition： From the Perspective of Financial Crisis

The U.S. subprime mortgage crisis has rapidly developed andspread from the region to the world and from the economic and financial field to the political and social field. It has evolved into an international financial crisis with a powerful force of impact and covering a wide range of fields rarely seen in history, and has become a major historical event that has a profound impact on the United States and the world at large since the 9/11 incident. The international community generally believes that it is a crisis of the existing order and system, and calls for reform of the international financial system are unprecedentedly high. This again has led to a discussion of the reform of the international system. The impact of the crisis on the transition of the entire international system has begun to appear.     

Impact of International Financial Crisis and China＇s Role

At present, the international financial and economic crisis is spreading in depth. This centennial crisis has exerted profound impacts on the world economy, political pattern and international relationships. China has been playing a unique irreplaceable role in addressing this crisis.     

Global Economic Trend under the Current Financial Crisis and Its Impact on China

The worst international financial crisis since the Great Depression in the 1930s has spilt out to the real economy, causing recession in developed countries and sharp slowdown in developing economies. Meanwhile, international trade and investment has evidently slowed in growth and even contracted. Currently the international financial crisis is further spreading and deepening; the world economy as a whole in 2009 will possibly fall into recession; and China＇s economy will face a more serious external economic environment.     

“中国债务陷阱外交论”的发展及其谬误

In recent years,China has gained fruitful achievements in investment and infrastructure construction cooperation with countries along the proposed Belt and Road routes.At the same time,the West has begun to attack the Belt and Road Initiative(BRI)with fallacies,of which“China’s debt-trap diplomacy”is a typical example.By putting the blame for the debt crisis of some developing countries on China,it tarnishes China’s international image and creates obstacles for the BRI.Therefore,it is particularly necessary to have a thorough understanding of the cause and effect of the“China’s debttrap diplomacy”narrative,to refute its erroneous nature and reveal the real root causes of the current debt crisis in many developing countries.     

China-U.S. Economic Symbiosis Moving toward Symmetry

The symbiotic relationship between the Chinese and U.S.economies determines that the two countries have mutual strategic needs. For a long time, the United States has played a dominant role in this relationship, yet it has also been developing in a direction favorable to China. The current financial crisis has accelerated the development of this trend, which gives China more say and makes the United States give up its previous dominant posture and seek to build a more reliable and new pattern of relationship in which the two are in the same boat.     

Enhance China-Japan Cooperation in Energy-saving and Environmental Protection

Under the background of spreading international financial crisis, it is highly necessary to enhance China-Japan cooperation, especially in the fields of energy saving.and environmental protection. Japan is a developed country and has accumulated a lot of technology and experience in energy saving and environmental protection, which can serve as references for developing countries like China. Therefore, there is great potential for China and Japan to step up cooperation in this area.     

Reform of the United Nations and Transformation of the International System

The reform of the United Nations is closely related with the transformation of the International system. The United Nations has made great success since it started a comprehensive reform in 2005. Such a reform is necessary both for the transition of the largest international organization in the world and transformation of the international system. The United Nations still has a long way to go in the comprehensive reform because of many factors.     

Financial Crisis and System Transformation

The China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations （CICIR） hosted a conference on ＂The International Financial Crisis and the Transformation of International System＂ on April 2nd, 2009, the same day that the G20 summit was held in London. The conference was chaired by Cui Liru, the President of the CICIR, and more than 20 well-known scholars from the CICIR and some other think tanks in Beijing participated. The current international financial crisis has had significant repercussions worldwide, and will have a far-reaching impact on the world economic and political pattern. How will the crisis affect the world economy and where is the way out？ How will it change the balance of international power and the world order？ What are China＇s choices？ These questions triggered a heated debate among the scholars.     

New Changes in the International Situation and China's Strategic Choices

The international situation is evolving more impressively than it has at any time since the end of the Cold War.Globalization has been in decline.Nations are scrambling to gain greater influence.The international strategic pattern is being adjusted.Many countries have problems with public management,and are faced with a new array of social trends and increasingly popular movements.The world is entering a new era full of chaos and anxiety.Mankind once again faces significant trade-offs and choices in peace and conflict,development and recession,openness and isolation,liberalism and conservatism.China strives to advocate win-win cooperation and lead the trend of reform and opening to maintain a favorable external environment despite world chaos,and enhance status and institutional rights in the international system.China's 30 years of development was successful in the process of integrating into the existing international system;China is a participant as well as a builder of the international system,rather than a challenger or a subversive.In the future,with a constructive attitude,China will promote the international system in a more reasonable direction together with international partners,in order to better safeguard world peace and security,and promote sustainable development throughout the world.     

International Studies （Chinese-language Journal）

International Studies is one of the earliest academic journals published by the research circle of China devoted to interna- tional studies. As a political, policy-conscious and theoretical publication it exerts an academic influence both in China and abroad. In light of the objective of serving diplomatic work and closely following the latest academic developments at home and abroad, the journal publishes the latest achievements in international studies by carrying anatyses on major events and de- velopments in international relations with special attention to new ideas and theories. The main columns are： International Relations, International Politics, World Economy,     

The Status Quo and Prospect of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation System

The current international financial crisis is posing a grave threat to the security of the world, and has brought about deep-going and complicated changes to the area of international nuclear non- proliferation. Generally speaking, the existing international nuclear non-proliferation mechanism is still functioning, nonetheless, it is also facing severe challenges and the situation is worrying.     

The Rise of the Far Right in Europe and the Refugee Crisis

The rise of the far right in Europe has captured the attention of the international community in recent years.Its specific features are:an unprecedentedly strong influence,an obvious trend towards the moderate line,horizontal collaboration to expand its reach,and a very adept use of social media networks.The refugee crisis has given the far right an historical opportunity.The rise has also had a profound effect on European politics;it has deepened the political divide inside EU member states,and shaken up the traditional political values and the foundation of the union.The rise of the far right will likely not change Europe's political landscape,but problems of EU governance over its handling of the refugee crisis cannot be ignored.     

Multi,polarization and the ＂Strategic Partnership＂ of the Big Powers

The international financial crisis has brought about major turbulence in the political arena of the world. The world is in a transition period. The trend of multi-polarization is dynamic and moves along the changes in the balance of international forces. An apparent feature in the recent ten years is that the strength and international influence of the sole super power--the US is comparatively decreasing. The international pattern that is developing in depth has led to contradictions and frictions of various kinds, especially the political and economic problems among the big powers and between the existing powers and the emerging powers. However,     

Somali Piracy： Causes and Countermeasures

The recent rampant piracy off the Somali coast has caused serious consequences and become a top concern internationally. In the latter half of 2008 the United Nations has successively adopted four resolutions calling on all nations in the world to actively participate in the actions of combating Somali piracy. In order to effectively repress and completely eradicate Somali piracy, an international public hazard, the international community must continue to push forward the peaceful process in Somalia, enhance cooperation in the fight against the evil and strengthen crackdown efforts on it. China, as a big responsible country, is striving to play an active role in resolving this problem.     

International System and China’s Asia-Pacific Strategy

What impact does a shift in the global distribution of power have on the international order? According to the views of traditional realists,power transitions in the international order are usually accompanied by major wars,the best example being the two world wars of the twentieth century.China’s peaceful rise is conducive to the peace and stability of Asia and Pacific regions.The steady rise of China’s position and its role in dealing with international and regional problems have proved China’s success in...     

International IPR Protection System and China＇s Answer

The current international system for the protection of intellectual property rights （IPR） with the Agreement on Trade- Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights （TRIPS） at its core has its positive contents and functions and at the same time many defects and drawbacks. In recent years disputes over IPR have become a hot issue in the relations between China and Western countries particularly the United States, and have, to a certain degree, affected the normal development of China＇s relations with other countries in the world. Admittedly, it is due, to a certain extent, to China＇s imperfect legal system for intellectual property rights, but at the same time it is also attributable to the deficiencies of the current international IPR protection system.     

Handling the Global Financial Crisis： China＇s Policy Response and Its Assessment

Though a star economy during the past few decades, China has proven not to be crisis-proof and is suffering in the American-made global financial crisis. In response, the Chinese government has adjusted its macroeconomic policy swiftly and implemented a counter-cycle policy, including a proactive fiscal policy, a moderately easy monetary policy and an active international cooperation policy. The Chinese government＇s policy is a comprehensive one, effectively combining investment, domestic consumption and foreign trade, short-term and long-term needs, economic growth and social development, and self-development and international cooperation. The Chinese government＇s policy has produced generally good results so far and will be continued.     

Strategy of Rebalance to the Asia-Pacific in Obama＇s New Term and US Ideological Export

Since the beginning of his second term, Barack Obama has made some adjustment to US strategy of rebalance to the Asia-Pacific.The adjustment is aimed at adapting the US to the new features in the post-flnancial crisis era, the new developments in the Asia- Pacific situation and the new changes in the overall US strategy, and it also serves US strategic intentions to dominate the regional affairs, acquire and safeguard its own interests and counterbalance China and it also serves US strategic intentions to dominate the regional affairs, acquire and safeguard its own interests and counterbalance China and prevent it from playing a leading role in the region. It is worth noting that the adjusted rebalance strategy features the purposefulness of US ideological export. The impact of the changes in the contents and means of ideological export on the situation in the Asia-Pacific region deserves attention.     

Thoughts on Transformations in International Finance

Asuccession of shock waves from international financial crisis has revealed pro-found transformations in the power balance of international finance,which willredraw the global financial landscape and exert a tremendous impact on the worldconfiguration in the next century.A scramble is on among major powers for com-manding heights in the new financial scene through strategic adjustments.Chinashould seize the opportunity to seek a niche for itself in this emerging world map,while guarding against risks in the defense of national economic security.     

Major Countries Adjust Economic Development Strategies to Meet the Challenges of the Crisis

The international financial crisis has forced many countries to ponder on their development modes, adjust the existent economic structures,incubate a new development strategy,and strive for the upper hand in the post-crisis era.The adjustment of the