Essence and Prospect of International Export Control Regimes

International export control regimes are referring to the regimes and systems concerning limitation of export and transference of military-use and dual-use items and related parts as well as technologies. In the past couple of years, the control regimes have shown a strengthening posture. In addition, a new global export control regime is brewing. Hence export control has caught the attention of the international community, and particularly of the circles of armament control and commerce. The author would like to make some analyses of the posture and then try to predict the trend of international export control regimes.     

Essence and Prospect of International Export Control Regimes

International export control regimes are referring to the regimes and systems concerning limitation of export and transference ofmilitary-use and dual-use items and related parts as well as technolo-gies.In the past couple of years,the control regimes have shown astrengthening posture.In addition,a newglobal export control regimeis brewing.Hence export control has caught the attention of the inter-national community,and particularly of the circles of armament con-trol and commerce.The author w…     

Military Reform: Full Steam ahead

Military strength has long been designed as a pillar for India's na- tional strategic goal of striving for the status of a world big power through control over the Indian Ocean with a solid groundwork in South Asia. At a time of IT-centered global military revolution the country aims at becoming a global military power by the year 2015 through military reforms geared to her military and national conditions in the following ways: ? Making timely readjustments in military strategy. India put …     

Military Reform: Full Steam ahead

Military strength has long been designed as a pillar for India‘s national strategic goal of striving for the status of a world big power through control over the Indian Ocean with a solid groundwork in South Asia. At a time of IT-centered global military revolution the country aims at becoming a global military power by the year 2015 through military reforms geared to her military and national conditions in the following ways:……     

Coalitions and American Military Intervention *

As the only superpower in the international system, the United States uses its force and takes military intervention abroad more often than any other state. Researchers usually argue that the United States has strong unilateral incentives to make decisions and implement military intervention—the US is prone to use or threaten to use the force frequently and obstinately, ignoring the United Nations and international law. An investigation of major US military interventions in the post-Cold War era shows that the United States has often relied on temporary coalitions rather than persistent alliances in military and stability operations, although its decisions to use force are less constrained by the international community. The United States has motivations to recruit multinational military coalitions, such as avoiding the dilemma of collective action, reducing the burden of intervention and acclaiming the legitimacy of their interventions. Military coalitions have clearly-defined missions and flexible means, which provide convenience for the United States to take a leading role in military interventions.     

A New Round of Arms Race

The advance in breadth and depth of international arms control and disarma- ment has its great significance in eliminating the threat of a nuclear war and pro-pelling the world situation onward in the direction of relaxation of tension. At thesame time, a negative trend also claims our attention. The strong military powerslike the United States are contending among themselves for retaining their militarysuperiority and seizing military sci-tech commanding heights while using the     

Afghanistan's Military-Political Situation and Regional Security

NATO's "Operation Enduring Freedom" was launched in 2001 under the guise of the fight against terrorism and it is still the defining factor in Afghanistan today.This operation has resulted in more than 10 years of war and a substantial increase in terrorism and drugs production in Afghanistan.An agreement on strategic cooperation between Washington and Kabul aims to create a series of long-term American military bases in Afghanistan even after the withdrawal of U.S.troops planned for 2014.Many countries in the region are unhappy about this move.Such a situation has aroused suspicions that the real purpose of the U.S.' "Operation Enduring Freedom" was simply to perpetuate instability in Afghanistan and the region so as to provide a justification for a long-term U.S.military presence there. Over the last three years,Afghanistan troops,with the support of the American troops,have blocked advances by the Taliban and set up "safety zones" in many areas of the country.However the Taliban have also carved out a stronghold in the east of the country in several provinces.Both sides control roughly equal areas of territory.     

ABSTRACTS

The Right of Collective Self-Defense： the Essential Features of the Japan-US Military Alliance
Wang Ping
This paper, through studying the debate and wrestling on constitutional amendment and lifting the ban on the right of collective self-defense in the post war Japan, has traced the historical development of Japan, ＂the abnormal child＂ of the Cold War system, in drafting contradictory constitution, and entering conflicting peace accords and the US-Japan Security Treaty under the control of the US, and the changes of Japanese government＇ s explanation in regard to constitutional amendment and lifting the ban on the right of collective self- defense. The paper also pointed out the reasons and results of the Andouble administration trying to amend the constitution and lift the ban on the right of collective self-defense, and analyzed Japan＇ s third political right deviation as well as the goals of its third national development strategy, namely becoming a military power, while sorting out and analyzing the formation and features of the Japan-US military alliance.     

China＇s Confidence-Building Measures： Practice and Prospect

Confidence-building measures are those taken between countries to enhance mutual understanding, reduce distrust, ease tensions and prevent the outbreak of war. They refer to stipulations agreed upon between countries on exchanges and checking of information related to military forces and activities and promotion of cooperation in the military field, etc. In a narrow sense, confidence-building measures refer to the various measures adopted in the military field and are related directly to improving security environment, including arrangements of measures of exchange, transparency, restriction and checking, etc. while in a broad sense, confidence- building measures cover political, economic, military, diplomatic, cultural, religious and ideological fields, which, in an overall manner, are taken to strengthen international security, improve the security environment, ease regional tensions and increase trust among countries. In formulating the measures, emphasis is laid on abiding by the Charter of the United Nations and the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, as well as other norms governing international relations, such as no threat by force or dismembering territorial integrity and political independence of other countries by force, no interference in other countries＇ internal affairs, peaceful settlement of disputes and equality of sovereignty between countries, enhancing mutual trust through close political contacts, economic links, technological exchanges and military contacts, etc.     

China''s Military Diplomacy

Since the end of the Cold War, China＇s military diplomacy has displayed an omni-directional and multi-level form, and with an increasing transparency which has increased trust and reduced doubt. China has enhanced its conventional military functions and strengthened its military soft power. This has helped China develop into a responsible state on the world stage. Through military exchanges with other countries, the Chinese military has gradually strengthened its ability to undertake a variety of tasks. The Chinese military has to make greater efforts to counter the perception of a ＂China threat.＂ There is also a need to establish a system of military spokesmen and to develop a theory of military diplomacy with Chinese characteristics.     

Military Transparency and Mutual Trust between China and the United States

I. Essence of the Military Transparency The concept of military transparency, which bears the official significance and is regarded as a standard of measuring national conducts, originated from the United Nations Resolution 35/142B entitled Reduction of Military Budgets adopted on 12 December, 1980 and other relevant UN resolutions which provided the basis for formulating the military transparency system. Over the past few years, the United States often has repeatedly asked China to meet its demands on the issue of military transparency. However,     

Facing Challenges and Shocks with Rationality

The Iraqi War breaking out on March 20, 2003 undoubtedly marks a turning point in current international relations. The international disputes around this war is not only an embodiment of differentbeliefs and positions on the issue of war and peace, but more importantly a demonstration of the deep skepticism and worry throughout the international community on the possible outcome of the war, as well as the future development of American diplomatic and military policies. All these will exert a profound and extensive influence on the trend of development of international relations in the future.     

Afghanistan Reconstruction

The Karzai regime has made some progress over the past four years and a half in the post-war reconstruction.However, Taliban's destruction and drug economy are still having serious impacts on the security and stability of Afghanistan.Hence the settlement of the two problems has become a crux of affecting the country' s future.Moreover, the Karzai regime is yet to handle a series of hot potatoes in the fields of central government' s authority, military and police building-up and foreign relations as well.     

My Opinion on the Situation of China＇s Energy Safety

Due to the fact that energy safety concerns not only China‘s economic safety but also influence the social development and national security, it is therefore both an economic issue and a political issue, being the core of the overall national security, as well as political, economic and military security. This is because a country cannot survive and develop without energy resources. The key to energy safety is a steadv suoolv of enerav.     

My Opinion on the Situation of China''''s Energy Safety

Due to the fact that energy safety concerns not only China's economic safety but also influence the so-cial development and national security,it is there-fore both an economic issue and a political issue,being the core of the overall national security, as well as political, economic and military security.This is because a country cannot survive and de-velop without energy resources.The key to energy safety is a steady supply of energy.The safe trans-port of energy in particular is an important…     

China-U. S. Strategic Relations on the "Western Front"

In geopolitical terms, despite its broader global significance, the interaction between a rising China and a hegemonic America, had nevertheless all along been confined largely to East Asia, or the "Eastern Front," where issues like the Taiwan question, the nuclear program of the DPRK as well as bilateral trade, economic and military exchanges attracted the attention of observers or analysts.     

Sino-U. S. Military Transparency in a New Security Concept

Military transparency is a complicated and sensitive issue in the Sino-U. S. relations and also a touchstone testing the degree of their interest coincidence. One can hardly gain a full and profound insight into the essential implication of military transparency if he is dominated by the realist logic and putting undue emphasis on the importance of it in the bilateral military relation.Given the fact that China and the United States are two important powers shouldering critical responsibilities for maintaining global peace and security, this article argues that only by adopting a new security concept toward military transparency could the two countries forge a consensus on the international security situation and remove misunderstanding, misgivings and distrust in their military contacts and cooperation. Only by actively seeking and constructing a new security regime could the two sides strengthen the institutional base for their military cooperation.     

RUSSIA

Just as President Boris Yeltsin needs recuperation this year after his heart by-pass operation last November, his country is also in need of recovery of its econom-ic and military strength for keeping social stability and Russia' s image as a big pow-er after a five-year-long continuous decline in the comprehensive national strength. The government budget has set the goal of a 2% GDP growth for 1997, cou-     

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.     

Five Observations of the Trend of the U.S. Military Strategy

Since the topics of security and counter-terrorism had dominated the recent U.S. presidential campaign and drawn the public attention, 2004 U.S. presidential election was also a kind of referendum on the new security strategy and military strategy practiced by the Bush administration. Bush‘s reelection indicates that the U.S. military strategy will be consistent rather than changeable, with the features of “general consistency with partial adjustments; clear objectives with flexible tactics; unilateralist orientation with multilateral approaches; predetermined evolution with increased restraints.“ In detail the trends are as follows:……