Strategic Implications of the Division of Developing Countries

Recentyears have seen accelerated divisionof developing countries, which has greatly affected world balance of power, interest patterns, North-South relations and the respective country＇s own future. Research on this subject will prove to be practically important for assessing the strategic trends in the world＇s ＂great transformation and adjustment＂, defining China＇s international identity and sharing China＇s developing opportunities, meeting challenges and achieving peaceful development and win-win results with other countries.     

Evolvement of New China＇s Relations with Other Developing Countries

China＇s relationship with other developing countries is an important basis for China＇s foreign strategy. Since its founding, New China has accumulated complex experience and achieved rich fruits in how to handle and develop its relations with other developing countries. It has experienced contradictions between ideology and national identity and also made strenuous efforts to safeguard the country＇s strategic independence. Since the introduction of the reform and opening-up policy, China has rapidly enhanced its national strength, providing a new platform for it to play a greater role in the current international system. But China＇s identity as a developing country remains the starting point of its foreign strategy, and hence promoting and consolidating its relationship with other developing countries will also remain as China＇s strategic choice.     

“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-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.     

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.     

Reflections on Maritime Parmership： Building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road

The ＂Silk Road＂ is a general term used to geographically describe ancient Chinese exchanges between Asia, Europe and Africa in the areas of politics, economics and culture. Starting on land and developing on sea, the ＂Silk Road＂ is a vehicle of historic importance for the dissemination of culture. The ancient maritime Silk Road was developed under political and economic backgrounds and was the result of cooperative efforts from ancestors of both the East and West. China＇s proposal to build a 21st Century Maritime Silk Road is aimed at exploring the unique values and concepts of the ancient road, enriching it with new meaning for the present era and actively developing economic partnerships with countries situated along the route. Specifically, the proposal seeks to further integrate current cooperation in order to achieve positive effects.     

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.     

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.     

Cultural Diplomacy and a Harmonious World

The cultural diplomacy of China today has entered into a period of rapid development. Yet there is still much room for improvement in promoting China＇s new diplomatic thinking. In step with China＇s growing economy and increased weight in international affairs, the Chinese government has changed its diplomatic strategy to ＂building a harmonious world.＂ To make this concept more attractive and acceptable to other countries and peoples, China should expand its soft power resources, strengthen international cultural exchanges to draw on the fine achievements of foreign cultures, enhance the influence of Chinese culture worldwide, exploit new channels for international cultural exchanges, develop its cultural industry, and improve its comprehensive power.     

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,     

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.     

Reform and Opening Up Versus Adjustment of China＇s Relations with Other Developing Countries

China＇s relations with other developing countries, an important component part and the foundation of its foreign policy, comprises two major dimensions： One, it has been the tradition of China＇s foreign affairs to promote relations with other developing countries. This tradition constitutes an extremely important basis of its foreign relations because China, a major member of the developing world, has had a similar destiny like the vast number of developing countries.     

Sino-US Energy Relations and the Third Party Factor

The United States is the most developed country in the world and the number one energy-importing country. China is the largest developing country and the number two energy-importing country. The energy issue is thus a key issue in Sino-US Relations. The United States has been on bad terms with some energy-rich ＂problem countries＂, while the energy cooperation between China and these countries is starting to go well. Sino-US relations now affect the whole world, and China＇s and the United States＇ relations with these key energy producers--the ＇third party factor＇ may become a major source of competition and conflict between the two powers.     

China＇s Flourishing Multilateral Diplomacy

In the early stage after its founding, the People＇s Republic of China established bilateral relations with a series of socialist countries and a small number of Western countries. In order to break up the encirclement of New China by the Western hostile forces headed by the United States, New China began participating in international affairs. It took part in the two Geneva Conferences and the Bandung Conference, and Premier Zhou Enlai visited ten African countries.     

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.     

Sino-U.S. Relations in the New Century

On September 21, 2005, the Deputy Secretary of the United States Robert B. Zoellick in his speech at the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations pointed out that, the United States agrees that China is taking a peacefully developing path and it＇s a successful way of opening and joining the economic globalization that ＂＇no other newly emerged power has ever taken.＂ Zoellick emphasized that the United States should ＂encourage China to be a responsible stakeholder in the international system. ＂ If both the United States and China take the strategic interest into consideration, Zoellick＇s speech will definitely have positive impact on the Sino- U.S. relations ＇future.     

China＇s International Vision and National Strategy

The global order was set in place following the end of the Second World War by a consortium of western countries headed by the U.S..Since then,the major western countries have strived to maintain their long dominance in global politics and economics.With the rise of nationalist movements,former colonies gained their independence,and many developing countries joined the UN.In recent years,the economies of the emerging powers have grown rapidly,and they have also joined the WTO.These changes have affected the post-War international order dominated by the West.The West still has the advantage in terms of stocks,and developing countries have the advantage in terms of variables and increments.     

The Role of FOCAC in the Development of Africa

China-Africa cooperation in the modern time started after the inauguration of China-Africa relations in 1956. At that time, the focus of cooperation was in the political area, with China supporting the movement of national independence of Africa and Africa supporting China＇s cause of unification. From 1978 to 1999, with great changes in both China and Africa, China-Africa cooperation entered the second phase. China had begun to implement the policy of reform and opening up, and African countries had moved from seeking national independence to developing national economy.     

Political Science in China： the Domestic Scene and a World Vision

Since the reforms of 1979, the subjects of China＇s political science studies have seen remarkable development. The article attempts a qualitative analysis of the progress made in the main fields of China＇s political science studies during the last decade. It deals with theories of international relations, research into strategy and security, international political economics, theories of comparative politics, China＇s local governance etc. There is still a wide gap between the subjects of China＇s political science studies and those in the rest of the world. China＇s academic circles should do more to air domestic issues and questions in the international academic arena.     

New Features of the Surrounding International Environment and China＇s Response

In constructing China＇s strategic diplomatic configuration, we often stress -that ＂major power relations are critical, the surrounding areas are the policy priorities, developing countries are the foundation, and the multilateral relations are important arena＂. After the CPC 18th National Congress, ＂public diplomacy＂ and ＂global governance＂ were also defined as the new orientation in China＇s diplomatic efforts. In designing China＇s diplomatic strategy, we have always considered the major powers and surrounding areas to be our diplomatic priority. The reality is the same.