A Comparative Analysis of Abe＇s and Fukuda＇s Asia Diplomacy

As Abe was replaced by Fukuda, Japan＇s domestic and foreign policies were also amended. Abe＇s ＂proactive diplomacy＂ has been replaced by Fukuda＇s ＂synergy diplomacy＂ which emphasizes strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance and Japan＇s ties with Asia. Abe＇s diplomacy toward Asia was characterized by ＂value oriented diplomacy＂, whereas Fukuda seeks to carry out ＂active diplomacy toward Asia＂ after his cabinet was formed. The changes in foreign policy of the Abe and Fukuda cabinets show that Japan＇s nationalist foreign policy is evolving in twists and turns from being radical to being more rational against the backdrop of domestic and international political reality. To explore this change and its causes is conducive to the better understanding of some features of Japan＇s diplomacy toward Asia.     

Sino-US Relations and the US Economic and Political Variables

Since coming to power in 2009, the Obama administration has ＇ prioritized domestic reconstruction, redesigning and rebalancingAmerica＇s foreign strategies in order to revitalize the United States＇ economic competitiveness. It has pushed forward social reforms and other major domestic policy agendas） In his second term, president Obama and his administration will continue to conceive of governance as ＂domestic affairs with the support of overseas performance.＂ In terms of Washingtoffs policy towards China, the United States＇ economic, political and social landscape will continue to bring about profound changes in China, while China has had an increasingly prominent impact on American society as well as the policy-decision environment faced by the United States government in its dealings with China.     

Gains and Losses of Obama Diplomacy

After a year＇s perfection and evolution, the Obama Administra- tion＇s New Deal in foreign policy has taken shape. A distinctive feature of the Obama diplomacy is that to maintain the leadership status in the world, the United States should use its ＂mart power＂ to achieve its foreign policy goals through multilateral cooperation and in a soft and pragmatic way.     

Obama Administration＇s Adjustment of U.S. National Security Strategy and Its Impact on China-U.S. Relations

On May 27, 2010, the Obama administration released its first national security strategy report, which makes a major readjustment of its predecessor＇s version with both continuity and change. It will have great impact on the international situation and China-U.S. relations.     

Russia-U.S.Rivalry in the Context of Power Imbalance

Compared to Soviet-U.S.relations of the Cold War era,contemporary Russia-U.S.relations are less decisively influential in shaping the global strategic situation.While evolving,the new relationship between the two sometimes registers dramatic events—Syria and Ukraine,for example—that seem to endanger a proposed ＂reset＂ of their bilateral relations.This reset,first mentioned during the presidencies of Dmitry Medvedev in Russia and the first term of Barack Obama in the U.S.,was not launched.Since the onset of the global financial crisis,the international strategic situation has further readjusted,and big power relations have remained out of equilibrium.Progress toward improved relations witnessed ＂apathy＂ after Vladimir Putin returned to power.Both countries pay less attention to each other in their respective foreign agendas but they are wrestling fiercely in the fields of politics,security and geopolitics in spite of an accelerating imbalance of strategic power.     

Reemergence of the ＂Germany Issue＂ in Europe Ding Yuanhong

The history of Europe has always been closely linked with the rise and fall of Germany during the past century or so. In Europe, the ＂Germany Issue＂ has all along been an important issue of universal significance to various countries in the region. After experiencing successive onslaughts of global financial crisis and sovereign-debt crisis in Europe, situation in Europe has been undergoing a number of major changes, among which the most striking one is Germany asserting itself as Europe＇ s No.1 power in the wake of the crises. Therefore the fate of the Euro Zone and the future of the European integration will invariably hinge on Germany. No other European country can play a more important role in the future development of Europe than Germany. In this sense, today＇s Germany is bringing forth once again the ＂Germany Issue＂ in Europe.     

Characteristics of the ＂Islamic State＂

The extreme organization that calls itself the ＂Islamic State＂ has alarmed the world with its rapid rise and grave damage while drawing sharp censure from numerous directions. In his speech on the strategy of dismantling the ＂Islamic State of Iraq and Syria,＂ American President Barak Obama＇ s called it ＂a terrorist organization, pure and simple.＂ 1 Rooted in Middle East turmoil, facilitated by the irresponsible policies of the great powers and nearby countries, the ＂Islamic State＂ （also known as ISIS or ISIL） stands out from among regional terrorist organizations in a number of vital characteristics. ISIS, disowned by the A1-Qaeda, nevertheless challenges it and seems to gain the upper hand. What lies behind its success are at least two powerful characteristics： its religio-political ambition to establish a recognizable country, and its ability to entice the zeal of Western jihadists.     

CONTRIBUTION GUIDELINES

Published by China Institute of International Studies, China International Studies is China＇s first English-language journal on diplomacy and international politics for formal circulation. The magazine mainly publishes the latest research achievements of Chinese scholars and specialists on China＇s diplomacy, international politics and international relations under such columns as China＇s Diplomacy, International Relations, International Politics, International Security,     

Crisis Expediting Reform and Reform Giving Birth to Opportunities, Competition and Cooperation Existin9 Side by Side -- A comprehensive Review of the International Situation in 2009

The year 2009 had witnessed the most profound changes in the international arena since the end of the Cold War. The ongoing international financial crisis, the ＂new policies＂ of the Obama administration, and the collective rise of emerging economies represented by China are the three major factors behind the changes in the international situation of 2009.     

Obama＇s New Tactic for ＂Democracy Promotion＂

The Bush administration＇s policy of exporting democracy overseas has failed and resulted in serious consequences. In light of this lesson and adhering to the intrinsic objectives of the United States, the Obama administration has made tactical adjustments by using means of ＂flexible＂ infiltration to promote ＂democracy＂ overseas. However, due to its own limitations and constraining factors both at home and abroad, this new tactic has achieved little success.     

Improving Public Diplomacy with Chinese Characteristics

The term ＂public diplomacy＂ was first used in 1965 by the Dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy of Tufts University. The term has no fixed definition no matter in China or other countries. Scholars agree on some points but disagree on some others. The Dictionary of International Relations Terms compiled by the U.S. Department of State in 1987 illustrates that public diplomacy refers to government-sponsored programs intended to understand, inform or influence public opinion in other ＂countries, reduce foreign governments＇ and public＇s misperceptions on the United States, enhance the image and influence of the United States in overseas public and promote national interest;     

Guide to Authors

Published by China Institute of International Studies, China International Studies is China＇s first English-language journal on diplomacy and international politics for formal circulation. The magazine mainly publishes the latest research achievements of Chinese scholars and specialists on China＇s diplomacy, international politics and international relations under such columns as China＇s Diplomacy, International Relations, International Politics, International Security, Regional Issues and World Economy. The journal pursues a serious and down-to-earth style and promotes academic democracy.     

Guide to Authors

Published by China Institute of International Studies, China International Studies is China＇s first English-language journal on diplomacy and international politics for formal circulation. The magazine mainly publishes the latest research achievements of Chinese scholars and specialists on China＇s diplomacy, international politics and international relations under such columns as China＇s Diplomacy, International Relations, International Politics, International Security, Regional Issues and World Economy. The journal pursues a serious and down-to-earth style and promotes academic democracy.     

Return to Tradition in the Name of Change

The author argues that although a new military strategy of US Armed Forces is far from being completed, an outline has emerged, that is to develop a military strategy suitable for ＂soft power diplomacy＂, rather than Bush＇s strategy of unilateralism and preemption. The author then makes some analysis on the difficulties Obama is facing to fulfill this change.     

CONTRIBUTION GUIDELINES

Published by China Institute of International Studies, China International Studies is China＇s first English-language journal on diplomacy and international politics for formal circulation. The magazine mainly publishes the latest research achievements of Chinese scholars and specialists on China＇s diplomacy, international politics and international relations under such columns as China＇s Diplomacy, International Relations, International Politics, International Security, Regional Issues and World Economy. The journal pursues a serious and down-to-earth style and promotes academic democracy.     

On the Basis of Sino-U.S.Cooperation

The thirty years＇ reform and open door policies in China have injected elements of capitalism into the Chinese economy. These capitalist factors have had a huge impact on China＇s domestic and foreign policies; economically speaking, China and the United States have become quite similar. The ideological differences which made them enemies in the first thirty years after the founding of the PRC have lessened considerably, and the two now interact as commercially competitive partners. This current similarity, according to the author, is the foundation which guarantees the future success of Sino-U.S. cooperation.     

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.     

Abstract

Retrosvect of the International Situation in 2013,by DingYuanhong, former Chinese Ambassador to EU. In retrospect of the international situation in 2013, we can see that the general situation was still a complex and unrest one, which was characterized by the following aspects： the legacy of the global financial and economic crisis is apparent, as the economic recovery of the developed nations was weak, and the economic development of emerging economies and developing countries got slowdown, but the fiscal conditions of emerging economies and developing countries were still better than those of the developed nations; the Obama administration was deep in trouble with its credibility dropping, as the incident of ~＇prism＂ has caused further damage; the economy of EU was slumping, and EU as a whole was slowly declining, with an intensified internal contradiction and a lost future; new developments that would have long-term effects emerged from the Middle East turmoil; China has made significant achievements both in internal politics and diplomacy, which were taken as the brightest spots of the international situation in 2013.     

Abstracts

1.The Korean Nuclear Issue Tests Obama＇s Asia Diplomacy,.by Shi Yongming, Senior Researcher, China Institute of International Studies and Guest Researcher of CPDS. Obama＇s Asia policy has just shown an outline of its ＂smart diplomacy＂, i.e., on the premise of sticking to the basic strategy, it attaches great importance to strengthening relationship with the newly-emerging powers and seeks to extend the U.S. influence on Asia by means of dialogue and cooperation. However, the Korean nuclear issue, which is very likely to reach a complicated and even dangerous impasse, is now testing Asia policy of the U.S. new administration. The issue is not only a strategic bottleneck that is a reflection of U.S.-DPRK relationship, but also is constrained by Japan and ROK, whose interests are closely related to the changes of the situation, as well as by some political elements in the U.S.     

An Analytical Comment on Merkel＇s Values-oriented Diplomacy

Since inauguration, Germany＇s Chancellor Angela Merkel has made adjustments to Gerhard Schroeder＇s foreign policy by implementing the values-oriented diplomacy with the focus on ideology and taking the safeguarding of the so-called universal values such as human rights and Western-style freedom and democracy as her major foreign policy objective. Merkel＇s foreign policy which features regressing back to conservatism has generated negative impact not only on Germany＇s foreign relations but also on the whole international situation as well as international relations.