The "Key States of Small Size" Strategy

On a spectrum based on national demographics,economy and power,there are many more"small powers"than there are middle powers and big powers.Critical to China’s new diplomacy is to identify and target the small powers that are key states for its strategic relations.A state such as Sri Lanka cannot truly be categorized into any of the three categories and its development outgrows traditional classification.Regarding the more than 200 states and regions in the world,China has officially stated that"relations with big powers are critical,with     

Global Governance Reform

President Barack Obama has trumpeted a ＂new era of engagement＂ for the United States. The central components of his strategy include a world order characterized by peaceful accommodation between established and rising powers; the collective management of transnational problems; and the overhaul of international institutions to reflect these shifting power dynamics and the new global agenda. Placing less emphasis than his predecessor on the pursuit of American primacy, Obama envisions--indeed, insists-that other global powers assume new responsibilities. Notwithstanding its multilateral instincts, though, the Obama administration is limited in its practical ability to promote and embrace sweeping reforms to global governance. Therefore, rather than casting its lot entirely with universal organizations like the United Nations, the United States will adopt a pragmatic approach to international cooperation that combines formal institutions with more flexible partnerships to achieve US national interests. The balance sheet for Obama＇s first year in office underscores both the opportunities for and the constraints on global governance reform in the current geopolitical environment.     

China’s Diplomatic Options in the Face of Profound Global Changes

he world today is undergoing profound changes not seen in a century.In terms of its formal structure,the world system has been greatly affected by the striking economic and social developments,changes in the international order,and adjustments in international relations.In effect,the world is facing great instability and uncertainty.Multilateralism is undergoing a major crisis,global governance is being challenged,while strategic competition among great powers has grown increasingly fierce.Confronting increasingly uncertain circumstances,China should maintain its strategic focus,strengthen the top-level design of its diplomacy,improve the overall layout,and step up efforts in its practices.In this way,China will effectively safeguard the stability of the global order and become an indispensable source of“positive energy”in this changing world.     

Evolution of the U.S. Strategy toward China and China’s Peaceful Development

China-U.S. relationship is the most important one between two big powers in the world today. It is both bilateral and global by nature. How to handle this relationship is closely linked with the fundamental interests of the U.S. and China, as well as peace and stability in the Asia Pacific region and even in the world. So, a profound examination of the nature of U.S. strategy toward China and its evolution over the years will help to fully understand the opportunities and challenges China will meet in the course of peaceful development.     

英文摘要

1.International Strategic Situation in the ＂Post-crisis Era＂ and Its Development Trend, by Gao Zugui, Senior Research Fellow at China Institutes of Contemporary International Studies, and Guest Researcher, CPDS. The Post-Cold War international setup feels a strong urge for change after the financial and economic crisis sweeping across the entire world. While the U.S. is still the sole world superpower in terms of its comprehensive strength, the gap between that of the As big powers and power groups are busy making U.S. and those of the other big powers is narrowing down. strategic alignments in prospect of a multi-polar world, relations between and among them are going to take on a new look. Competitions between and among them still carry the day, and are going to be even more intense in various fields.     

新时代中国海洋维权理念与实践

As China is ushering in a new era of national development,the global environment is becoming increasingly volatile.Faced with a complex situation in the adjacent maritime waters,the leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China(CPC),with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core,has put forward a farsighted and important strategic plan to transform China into a maritime power,including a series of concepts and practices specifically intended to safeguard China’s maritime rights and interests in the new era.A comprehensive analysis and summary of these concepts and practices will not only clarify what these rights and interests are,but it also bears theoretical and practical significance to correctly understand the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy,and better safeguard China’s maritime rights and interests.     

The Major Power Diplomacy with Chinese Characteristics in the Transition of International Order

The early 21st century finds great change in international order.China's foreign relations have entered a new phase where its driving force is rapidly rising for the emerging countries and new global economic governance mechanism is gradually established.To follow the trend of the times,China has actively participated in global economic governance and supply of public goods.China' s foreign relations present a new vision,idea and strategy under the leadership of President Xi Jinping.It is a new starting point for China to further integrate itself into the world and open itself wider to the world.China takes an active part to participate in global governance and plays an important role in the issues of economic integration,environmental governance,climate change,nuclear nonproliferation,energy crisis,internet security and anti-terrorism,especially anti-terrorism.This article explains the performance of international relations in current transition order and tries to tackle prior (and in some ways more intractable) issues and to analyze the internal logics and external environment of impact of multi-polarization on China's major power diplomacy with its characteristics in the transition of International order.     

Constructing and Conceptualizing “Interdependent Hegemony” in an Era of the Rise of the BRICS and Beyond

The paper aims to provide a framework for understanding the global impact of the rise of the “Second World” (emerging powers, such as BRICS) brought about by globalization and the transformation of international relations and international political economy. The paper takes the point of departure from one of Gramsci’s key conceptual categories and analytical apparatus, e.g. “hegemony,” to explore the extent that the upsurge of the emerging powers has reshaped the terrain and parameters of social, economic and political relations both at the national and global levels, and has exerted pressure on the existing international order in terms of both opportunities and constraints. The paper intends to examine the dialectical nexus between the role of the emerging powers as a counter-hegemonic, socio-economic and socio-political force for a new world order. The paper’s analytical approach is to combine neo-Gramscian hegemony theories with critical post-hegemony theories. The conclusion of the paper is to suggest that in an era of globalization and transformational capitalism it is impossible for the emerging powers to establish an alternative independent hegemony; rather, the world will witness a new era of “interdependent hegemony,” in which both the “First World” and the “Second World” are intertwined in a constant process of shaping and reshaping the world order in the nexus of national interest, regional orientation, common economic and political agendas, security alliance and potential confl icts.     

The Dual Situations of China-U.S. Relations

In recent years, the U.S. administration is, out of its capability and interests, more and more inclined to accept, to a greater extent and from a long-term perspective, a realistic trend that China is rising to one of the world leading powers in a peaceful way. Accordingly, it is continuing its military containment against China, increasing its trade protectionism toward China and stepping up its diplomatic rivalry with China.     

Thinking on the Theory of "China’s Century"

As China’s economy and global influence increase,its international relations are quickly changing.As more credence is given to predictions of a"China Century"to follow the"American Century,"interest is also increasing in the adjustments China is making to its strategic diplomacy as it prepares to take the first chair from the United States.The conceptual innovation in China’s diplomacy in 2014 is a significant harbinger in the eyes of many as to how this China Century will shape up.While China’s new diplomacy is praised,opinion differs on its future intentions.After a series of proposals were put forward at summit meetings of CICA(Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in     

ABSTRACTS

BJP secured victory in India＇s recent general election with a landslide win and new Prime Minister Narendra Medi＇s foreign policy has become an issue of wide attention. According to the author, BJP government will continue India＇s effort to be among global powers; emphasize its engagement with major powers such as the US and China while safeguard its strategic autonomy; and improve its troubled ties with Pakistan. India will conduct pragmatic diplomacy in economic ccoporation, non-traditional and maritime security, and its Look East thrust. A stable Sino-India relationship is expectably likely during Medi＇s tenure in view of the robust bilateral economic engagement despite difficulty in resolving their border disputes.     

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.     

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.     

Russia-Georgia Conflict and Beyond

Yet another Post 9/11 historical event indicating a significant turning point in the Post-Cold War era, Russia-Georgia conflict represents a remarkable change in the international strategy of a resurgent Russia. It also signifies that former Soviet republics are still groping for a new identity and that a new round of realignment will persist in the vast Eurasia region. The conflict reveals declining U.S. global control, flawed European integration, and NATO embarrassment. To a certain extent, it exposes chaos brought about by international nonpolarity and world governance vacuum. It also highlights what serious consequences can a double standard inflict on the principles of international law. A reasonable arrangement for global security and economic growth is therefore challenging the resolve and wisdom of international strategists. Actually fierce geopolitical rivalry for energy resources is at work behind the Russia-Georgia conflict. This will further compound the international energy strategic environment.     

GIobal Military Trend in the Early 21st Century

Along with dynamics in international life and advances in military revolution,a profound transformation is under way in world security landscape at the be-ginning of the new tentury. A new round of military expansion is in progress among major military powers, notably the United States and-its Western aUies. thereby aggravating imbalances in the world mititary strategic configuration. This will pose new challenges to world peace and development.     

International Order in the 21st Century and China''s Foreign Strategy

Dramatic changes have occurred in the post-Cold War world strategic configuration and international order with their replacements burgeoning. This confronts nations, big powers in particular, with new strategic choices. Indeed unfolding before us is a contention among them for seizing the initiative in the emerging international landscape in the 21st century.Thus how to correctly assess and respond to these changes for pursuing a reasonable strategy and selecting a right policy option is not only a matter of primary concern for the academic community, but also a major foreign policy task before a rapidly growing China. For this, a symposium on this theme was recently sponsored by the Editorial Department of Contemporary International Relations to solicit from a dozen or so Beijingbased well-known scholars and experts for their views on and policy suggestions for such issues as the current overall strategic picture, global configuration, trends of the international order and the strategic environment facing China. Excerpts of their major views are as follows.     

Strategic Interest Orientation of China and Latin America,and Advantages and Disadvantages to Realize It

For China and Latin America, the 21th century is a century inwhich great progress could be achieved. As the economic globalization sweeps its way across the world, interdependency between countries will be enhanced, and relations between China and Latin America tend to be even closer. What's more important, both sides consider its rela- tions with the other one on a strategic level. This serves as a new impe- tus to promote the bilateral relations in the new century. Judging by the present …     

China＇s Foreign Strategy： Constantly Deepening and Broadening

China has been constantly deepening and broadening foreign strategy in accordance with the changes of the world situation. With the Fourth Plenary Session of the Seventeenth CPC Central Committee, the Eleventh Diplomatic Envoy Conference and the Central Economic Working Conference as opportunities, the CPC Central Committee has made a series of new explanations and judgements on China＇s foreign strategy in the new era. China＇s external work has also entered a new period of great development. China has made substantial progress in countering the international financial crisis, promoting global issues such as climate change, maintaining the steady development of relations with major global powers and solidifying its strategy of reliance on surrounding countries. China＇s international status and influence has scaled new heights.     

ASEAN and the Major Powers： New Ties of Transnational Integration

ASEAN, whose international prestige grew as a result of its diplomatic role in 1970s, can be seen as providing a model for linking the very disparate states of the Asia-Pacific region in a common association. The centrality of ASEAN to any attempt to build regional institutions was strengthened by clashes of interest between the major powers. In order to protect its own strategic interests, ASEAN has established mechanisms of economic and security cooperation with the EU and the United States since the end of Cold War. After September 11, the cooperation between ASEAN and the US has become much more extensive than before on both regional and global levels. Sino-EU-US triangular relationships have had a significant influence on ASEAN relations with these powers in the new century.     

China's International Influence

China’s rise is accompanied by a corresponding growth in its international influence. Not only does this kind of influence have its roots in history and imagination,but it is also an inevitable result of China’s growing strength and economy over the past few decades.It is difficult to accurately quantify a country’s international influence.China’s growing international influence has its own distinct characteristics,marked by the country’s unique national interests.A more influential China is not only good for China’s own development;it is also good for the world.