The Evolution of China’s Security Challenges and Grand Strategy

This article examines changes in China’s security perceptions since 1949 and sketches the evolution of China’s grand strategy. In tracing the evolution of China’s security perceptions and grand strategy since 1949, it identifies elements of change as well as continuity. The changes reflect dramatic developments in the PRC’s capabilities and the international circumstances it faces, both of which have shaped the grand strategic choices of China’s leaders. During most of the Cold War decades, a relatively weak China’s vulnerability to serious military threats from much more powerful adversaries led the CCP to adopt grand strategies focused on coping with a clearly defined external security challenge. After the Cold War and especially in the 21st century, an increasingly complex array of internal and external security concerns confronts China’s leaders with new challenges. The paper concludes with a discussion of the significance of the recently established National Security Commission and offers brief observations about its potential significance for the CCP’s leadership in their fight against the new domestic and international security challenges it faces. The novelty of China’s security challenges at home and abroad in the 21st century is a consequence of the end of the Cold War international order and perhaps more importantly, a consequence of China’s successful modernization since 1979.     

创新伙伴关系:打造全球伙伴关系的新增长点

In recent years,innovation has played an important role in China’s process of building a global partnership network.Since 2013,China has established an“innovative strategic partnership”with Switzerland,1 and an“innovative comprehensive partnership”with Israel.2 China have jointly proposed an“innovative partnership of mutual benefit”with Germany,3 a“China-UK innovative partnership”with the United Kingdom,4 and a“future-oriented new-type cooperative partnership”with Finland.5 Portugal,Spain,Czechia,Russia,Brazil,the United Arab Emirates,and Singapore have also actively responded to China’s offer to initiate innovation-centered cooperation,highlighting various elements of innovation in each of their joint statements on partnership.By focusing on innovative cooperation,China promotes the establishment of more equal and balanced partnership,and enriches the connotations of a global network of partnerships.     

The Role of Africa in China＇s Rise

Africa plays an important role in China＇s rise. Sino-African ties bolsters up Chinese influence. African enthusiasm for taking a leaf from China＇s experience to shake off poverty has boosted China＇s soft power. Africa defends China as a responsible partner against Western slander of practicing neocolonialism. Africa provides China with the driving force for sustainable development. Africa supports China＇s national unification and demonstrates political solidarity with China. In recent years Africa＇s success in enhancing collective strength through deepening solidarity has won admiration and respect. Its strategic status is on a steady rise. It is our sincere hope that Africa will walk on the road of prosperity as soon as possible.     

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...     

Our Knowledge about China Entirely Updated"──Sidelights on the China Trip by the Delegation of Trade Unionists from the Austria-China Friendship Association

At the invitation of the Chinese Association for International Understand-ing (CAFIU), Mr. Gloss Wilhelm , Vice-president of the Austria's Trade Union of Civil Servants (ATUCS), headed a delegation of trade unionists from the Austria-China Friendship Association (ACFA) for a visit to China in late June this year. As a CAFIU staff member, I had the honor to accompany the Austrian friends on their tour of Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, and Qufu. My experience with them was pleasant. …     

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,     

Thirty Years of China＇s Diplomacy： Trajectory and Challenges Ahead

The 60 years since the birth of New China can be divided into two equal parts with the second 30 years of Chinese diplomacy reflecting tremendous changes in the country and its society. And its central task in this period boils down to building a peaceful external environment for the domestic modernization drive. In the process, based on independence and the world-known Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence, taking shape is a diplomatic strategy that is both all-directional in scope and rich in Chinese characteristics. Since the advent of the 21st century, the country has defined four areas of focus in its diplomacy and put forward the watchword of ＂peaceful development.＂ Looking ahead, China is facing new challenges in its diplomacy of how to preserve harmonious relations with the outside world and set up a Chinese model reflecting its own core values, thereby investing with it greater international appeal and value of universal application.     

Five Decades of Sino-French Relations： Foundations for a New Relationship

China and France celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations on January 27, 2014.Over the past fifty years, having been through ups and downs,China and France have forged a comprehensive strategic partnership with a solid foundation featuring extensive cooperation, mutual benefit and win-win result. After conducting domestic adjustments while facing a historic opportunity nowadays, the two countries are turning a new page in their bilateral relations and they would jointly construct a new type of relationship with characteristics of the times.     

Handling China-U.S. Relations from Strategic Height

Since China and the United States established diplomatic relations 30 years ago, their bilateral relations have gone through all twists and turns. The initial strategic-oriented relationship with the purpose of coping with the Soviet threats has evolved into a comprehensive relationship of constructive cooperation. With its profound impact on world situation, the relationship is now one of the most important bilateral relations in the world.     

“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＇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.     

新常态下中美关系发展的特征与趋势（英文）

正In 2015,the development of China-US relations was generally under the"new normal"which has come into being between the two countries in recent years,with frictions and competition coexisting alongside coordination and cooperation.That being said,2015 saw a new trend emerge in the United States’attitude towards China,and the competition and frictions between them in some areas led to different results,while new progress was made in their cooperation and new characteristics appeared in their bilateral interactions.     

On China＇s Military Transparency

For many years, major Western countries have all along held that the rapid increase of its comprehensive national strength offers china an opportunity ＂to make the country rich and the army strong＂. In their eyes, in the late 1990s, China＇s military expenditure kept growing by two-digit percentage, the orientation of China＇s military modernization was not clear, and China＇s intention in national defense, the scope and composition of its army, the use of military expenditure and military deployments all remained in a ＂non-transparent＂ status. They asserted that all this had constituted challenges and threat to the surrounding countries. In raising the issue of China＇s military transparency, these countries did not refer to bilateral or multilateral issues, but mostly requested China to become unilaterally and all-dimensionally transparent in military affairs. They are publicizing China＇s military transparency either out of their belated knowledge, or lack of trust in China, or for paving the way for concocting the ＂China threat＂ theory.     

China and Global Governance

To enhance global governance has become more urgent with rapid development of globalization in the post-Cold War years. China has benefited from the process of globalization and hence should make greater contribution to the global governance in the future.     

She has “China Complex” All Her Life——A story of an American friend

She was an ordinary and common person. As a “white angel” she came to Yan-an China,from the other side of the ocean with a young girl‘s dream. She spent only oneyear there, but her “China complex” had been with her for tens of years, until she died at the age of 72 in Beijing in 1991.     

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.     

Young American China Watchers＇ Views on China

In this paper, the author has made a thorough study over the new generation of American China Watchers. Most of the pages are devoted to a detailed comparison between the old generation and the young generation of American China Watchers regarding to their background, education, and views over China. At the end of the paper, the author also gives some policy suggestions for both the Chinese and U.S. government based on the findings in this study.     

The Clash in Public Opinion between Europe and China： What, How and Why

Recent years have seen a tension between Europe and China in public opinion, which began in 2006 and climaxed in 2008 when the Tibet riots and the Beijing Olympics put China under the global spotlight. Europeans and Chinese view each other more negatively than in ＂the good old days＂ and there is a growing perception gap regarding the Chinese government. The media （including the Internet） and public opinion leaders （scholars, human rights activists, dissidents, politicians and diplomats） have played a part in causing this both in Europe and in China, and this paper examines their roles. This paper also identifies three reasons behind the clash of viewpoints： First, lack of common values has exacerbated Europe＇s fear of a rising China; second, both Europe and China use this hostility to help redefine their self-identity; third, different development needs in China and Europe have nurtured very different mindsets. In the future, the European public＇s interest in China will continue to grow and Europe＇s and China＇s perceptions of each other will gradually stabilize. In the long run, whether Europe will accept a rising China depends on China＇s ability to develop a ＂Chinese thinking＂ which suits both China＇s and the world＇s development needs.     

FES Delegation Visits China

At the invitation of CAFIU, a 6-member delegation of German Friedrich-Ebert Foundation（FES） headed by Mr. Ernst Kerbusch, Director of the Department for International Cooperation visited China from April 21 to 29. In Beijing, Mr. Li Jinjun, CAFIU adviser and Vice Minister of International Department of CPC, Mr. Li Chengren, Executive Vice President of CAFIU met with the delegation on separate occasions. The delegation participated in the International Conference on Cooperation with Africa in the Context of Globalization cosponsored by CAFIU and FES. The delegation also called on the Central Party School and China Renmin University.     

Why Is the Abe Government so Anxious to Improve Relations with China？-Why Is Shinzo Abe so Eager to Improve Relations with China？

Editor＇s Note： Sino-Japanese relations have been tense in recent years. In Jparticular, since Abe came to power, Japan has not only been ＂desperately struggling＂ with China on territorial and historical issues, but has also tried to set up an ＂encircling network＂ against China. Thus Sino-Japanese relations have emerged as the most risky bilateral relations in the Asia-Pacific region. As the two largest powers in East Asia, and the world＇s second and third largest economies, the continuing confrontation between China and Japan will have huge negative repercussions on regional and global peace. With the approaching of the APEC meeting, however, the Abe government has repeatedly expressed its hopes for diplomatic dialogue with China. The Abe government＇s shift in attitude towards China from ＂hard＂ to a new ＂moderate＂ position has attracted wide international attention. We cannot help but ask：