Prospects for Sino-Russian Relations and China＇s National Interests in the Next Decade

The next 5-10 years will be a pivotal period in which China will implement its ＂ 11 th Five-Year Plan＂ and accelerate its construction of ＂ a moderately prosperous society.＂ It will also be an important period for Russia＇s resurgence. Sino-Russian relations are therefore facing new challenges and will be steadily developing. Under these new circumstances, clearly defining China＇s national interests in Sino-Russian relations will be an important prerequisite of ensuring the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations and of safeguarding China＇s peace and security. For the foreseeable future, China＇s national interests in Sino- Russian relations will be the further consolidation of mutual trust between the two countries and increasing Sino-Russian security cooperation so as to maintain peace and security in China ＇s northern border areas. As the two countries are both in a phase of social transformation, they can nevertheless learn from each other throughout this process. China will continue promoting diversity of cultures and the multi-polarization of world. China should also exploit Sino-Russian economic cooperation and try to frame a joint strategy with Russia in order to achieve common development and prosperity. Consequently, the two countries will be able to march forward side by side along the path of economic reforms and structural adjustment.＂ In the 21st Century, China and Russia not only need to maintain a good neighbor relationship and guarantee their joint security, but also build a closer cooperation in their common development.     

Impact of the Chinese Model in Africa

The Chinese model has a fairly big influence in Africa. Ever since reform and opening-up, China has been focusing on the central task of economic construction, which brought rapid economic growth, strengthening comprehensive national power, improving lives of the people and extending international influence. The success of the Chinese model has aroused much interest in the world, especially Africa, and produced positive effects. It is the outcome of a combination of several factors, such as the attraction of China＇s development, the impetus produced by that development and the appeal of China＇s friendly policies. Nevertheless, China is not going to sell its model and ultimately Africa has to carve out its own way of development.     

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 ＂cooperative security＂. This paper analyzes the security order in the Asia-Pacific region1 that China wants to construct to provide important guarantees to its peaceful rise. Firstly, I review and compare key arguments about the transition of international systems and China＇s Asia-Pacific strategy, Secondly, I investigate the dynamics between China＇s peaceful rise and the ＂cooperative security＂ which I think are the collective embodiments of modem transformation and the restructuring of China＇s traditional strategic culture. Thirdly, I examine how to construct a mechanism of cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region to guarantee China＇s peaceful rise on both political and economic levels. Economic cooperation and free trade in Asia-Pacific region is an important route to regional economic integrity which will guarantee China＇s role in maintaining the political and economic security in the region.     

Energy Development in South Asia and China- South Asia Energy Cooperation

In South Asia, most countries are heavily dependent on energy imports as a result of poor natural endowment, weak exploration capacity and fast economic development. However, being close neighbor to China, the South Asia serves as the corridor for China＇s energy imports and the transit region for China＇s oil and gas pipelines. It is in China＇s strategic interests to conduct energy cooperation with the South Asian countries.     

The Core of China＇s Model

＂China＇s Model＂ is the outcome of China＇s political and economic development since China＇s reform and opening up and the globalization trend. It can be described as a dynamic framework of ＂One body with two wings＂, with Chinese Marxism as its core of guiding principles, and the interrelated spheres of political and economic development the two ＂wings＂ which grow from it. China＇s Model is not static, but the product of a continuous process of development. It represents a unity of opposites, blending national characteristics and international features.     

China-U.S. Economic and Trade Relations： A Win-Win Partnership

Over the past three decades, China-U.S. economic and trade relations have been growing rapidly along with vigorous economic development of China in the course of its reform and opening-up. Economic exchanges and trade between the two countries virtually started from scratch, but now China and the United States have become two of the world＇s largest economies and trading partners. The two economies are more interdependent than ever before, each being the other＇s major partner： China is America＇s second largest trading partner, third largest export market, second largest source of import and largest holder of its treasury bonds; the United States is China＇s largest trading partner, largest export market and third largest outlet for foreign direct investment （FDI）.     

Value and Politics of China and Russia

The 17th National Congress stressed that the Party must keep to the path of political development under socialism with Chinese characteristics. Since the introduction of the reform and opening up policy, China＇s economy has developed quickly, supplementing its political construction. Progress in the economy and political development have raised China＇s confidence and made the Chinese system more attractive to the rest of the world. Though China＇s political development has been achieved under the correct democratic development viewpoint, difficulties may yet arise, and China may need to look outside to other political achievements; importantly, China has the confidence and determination to make its political development harmonious, orderly and effective.     

Thirty Years of Tremendous Changes in the PLA

At the beginning of the reform and opening-up movement, national defence and military construction were subordinated to economic development. With the strengthening of China＇s economic power, the national strategy has changed to coordinating national defence and military construction with economic development. The PLA＇s role has expanded from resisting foreign aggression and safeguarding internal security and stability to maintaining world peace and promoting shared development. With China playing an increasingly important role on the world stage, the PLA now vigorously participates in activities aimed at regional and global peace and stability.     

Spatial Economic Hubs and State Power

The paper seeks to analyze the rise of state power in the light of spatial economic shifts and examines the historical context of China＇s rise and challenges facing it. In world history, only countries that were spatial economic hubs have been able to enjoy prosperity over centuries. China is not yet such a country, despite its persistent efforts. Nor is China likely to become an economic hub in the foreseeable future. China is under mounting pressure from new economic demands posed by shifts in the geo-economic status of the U.S.. The fact that the global economy thrives along coastlines also causes problems for China, a country with a long coastline and a vast hinterland, creating rifts between northern and southern China, central and local governments, and different provinces. All these factors might well hinder China＇s development in the future.     

Building Friends Nearby： Chinas Economic Relations with Neighboring Countries

Peripheral diplomacy tops China＇s overall diplomatic layout. Economic diplomacy has also increasingly become an importantpart of Chinese diplomacy. Therefore, it is of important strategic significance to promote economic diplomacy in the surrounding areas. For China, now is a conflict-prone period in relations with its neighboring countries, a sensitive time of American rebalancing to Asia Pacific and a period of development bottlenecks in the peaceful rise of China. It is an important strategic issue for China to figure out how to join neighboring countries to achieve an inclusive growth and symbiotic development, to translate its economic influence in the surrounding areas into political influence, and to better safeguard national interests and improve diplomatic influence.     

The Development Trend in China’ s Surrounding Areas

China’s surrounding areas are in a special transition period necessitated by China’s peaceful rise and the adjustment of its Asian strategy.In2014,these neighboring areas inherited the development trend of the previous three years,coaxing out changes that we are beginning to see.Changes in world economic growth,America’s rebalancing strategy,and alterations in Sino-Japanese relations are direct results of China’s rise,and other development trends are in the offing.The high-speed growth stage for Asian emerging economies has come to an end.Moderate growth in parallel with reform is the new norm in Asian economy.Due to the collective slowing of emerging economies,     

Scientific Outlook on Development and China＇s Foreign Policy

More than half a century has passed since the founding of the People＇s Republic of China. There have been successes as well as failures in China＇s policies and practices at home and abroad. The failures are stepping stones for success; lessons drawn from errors lead to truth. Chinese leader Hu Jintao recently spoke about ＂Scientific Outlook on Development, ＂＇ a summary of past history and an important guiding principle for China＇s economic and social development both now and in future. The authors believe that this is a major development in China＇s strategic thinking following Deng Xiaoping＇s ＂Reform and Opening Up＂ and Jiang Zemin＇s ＂Three Representatives＂ and that it should be upheld and applied to foreign policy decision making.     

Great Reform of China＇s Diplomacy

With the implementation by China of the policy of reform and opening to the outside world, China＇s diplomacy has undergone a great reform of profound significance, and has made outstanding achievements. China＇s development and its diplomacy supplement, enrich and promote each other. The former provides good conditions for the latter＇s development, while the latter safeguards China＇s sovereignty and territorial integrity, creates a peaceful international environment for the country＇s cause of socialist construction with Chinese characteristics, and makes remarkable contributions to the great undertaking of reform and opening-up and the Four Modernizations.     

China-Central Asia ＂Twin-Track＂ Energy Cooperation

China＇s large-scale investment in Kazakh oil and gas resource development ushered in a new era of China-Kazakhstan bilateral trade in the late 1990s. This lifted cooperation between China and the five countries in Central Asia to a new level, opening the China-Central Asia energy channel and bringing the ＂Silk Road economic belt＂ into being. Central Asia and China＇s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, areas which are both abundant in renewable energy, should fully utilize their geopolitical advantages as neighbors by means of Xinjiang＇s rapid growth. Projecting a twin-track mechanism of developing both renewable and non-renewable energy resources is of great significance to both China and Central Asia.     

Russian Economy in the Global Financial Crisis and Its Prospects

The global financial crisis originated in the United States has incurred disastrous consequences on Russia＇s resource export-dependent economy and greatly impeded its revitalization. How to draw lessons from this crisis and timely adjust the country＇s economic policies so as to shake off the crisis and restart its revitalization as soon as possible have now become the top priority and central task for Russia in implementing its national development strategy.     

ABSTRACTS

China and Africa： An Initial Analysis of the Involvement of China＇s State-owned Enterprises in the Construction of the Three Grand Networks in Africa
Zhi Yuchen
China＇s cooperation with Africa in constructing the three grand networks in Africa not only reflects China＇s economic and trade policies towards Africa, but also meets the needs of the social and economic development in Africa. The active participation of the Chinese state-owned enterprises in such projects on the bases of their advantages not only imply their needs of internationalization, but also facilitates the state-owned capital to make contributions to China＇s external economic and trade strategy. This paper, based on the facts of China＇s investment and achievements in the construction of communication infrastructure in Africa as well as the reality of African planning and construction of communication networks, has meticulously analyzed the major concerns of the five sub-regions in Africa and talked about the significance of Chinese stateowned enterprises＇ participation in the construction of the three grand networks in Africa as well as the governing principles and possible routes.     

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.     

How the West Perceives China＇s Developing Country Status

With the rise of China＇s position in the international political and economic fields, the West began to question China＇s developing country status, the wrong perception of the West lies primarily in the following aspects： first, the vagueness of the concept of ＂developing countries＂ and the tendency towards narrowing the notion; second, the western countries are pressing China to shoulder more international responsibilities in so doing.     

A Three-Dimensional Analysis of China＇ s Surrounding Environment

Currently, China＇s surrounding environment is undergoing a historic profound change. This change is not only an important reflection of thein-depth development of globalization and informatization under the global readjustment of the international power structure and regional order, but also the result of the interaction between the accumulated energy ＂vibration＂ caused by China＇s 30 years＇ rapid development and its neighboring countries ＂readapting＂ to it. A comprehensive,     

China＇s Diplomacy： New Trends and New Characteristics

In the 60 years since the founding of the People＇s Republic of China, the country has pursued a peace-oriented foreign policy. After the end of the Beijing Olympics in October 2008, China＇s foreign relations began to take on a new look. The country now participates more actively in global and regional issues, forging multilateral and bilateral relationships, and entering into discussions on maritime rights and military strategy. It could be said that China is now showing more initiative, independence, confidence, transparency and a greater sense of responsibility, and strengthening cooperation with all partners. These changes are mainly due to China＇s increasing comprehensive national strength and its need to integrate into the international system in a peaceful and harmonious manner with benefits to all. China has redefined its identity and reassessed its interests. These changes are ongoing, and the nation＇s diplomacy is still not perfect, but the general direction has now been set.