“一边倒”外交时期俄罗斯的国家利益观评析

国家间相互交往的一条基本原则是利益原则,是国家间确定敌友的基本标准。独立初期,俄罗斯的外交特点是向以美国为首的西方国家"一边倒",这主要缘于俄决策者国家利益观的变化。他们认为,西方民主式发展道路是俄罗斯走向文明社会的"正途",是国家复兴的根本;认为俄罗斯不再是超级大国,将寻求与西方大国的平等地位作为国家的目标;将发展经济作为国家的首要利益。实践证明,俄罗斯该阶段的国家利益判定过于感性,导致国家利益受损。这不仅促使叶利钦第二任期的国家利益观发生变化,而且对普京国家利益观的形成也产生了明显的影响。     

文化外交在当代中俄关系中的作用

冷战结束后,和平与发展成为时代主题,文化因素对国际关系的影响日益凸显,并由此产生了一种新型外交方式——文化外交。中俄两国比邻而居,有着近四百年的交往史,文化交流更是在其中起到重要作用。随着文化外交日益受到各国政府的重视,中俄文化交流不断擦出新火花。实践证明,文化外交在巩固中俄两国高层政治关系、推动经贸合作和扩大民间交往方面有不可替代的作用。     

对新时期科技外交的思考

入世以来,中国高技术产业获得长足发展,但仍面临严峻挑战,由资源型、依附型向创新型发展模式转变已成共识。科技外交要拓展战略空间,争取多边合作中的重大科技项目、参与国际知识产权保护和国际标准制定等,从而更好地为中国高技术“走出去”战略服务。     

卢武铉的“能源外交”及启示

韩国能源消耗巨大,但国内资源匮乏。其经济发展需要的能源严重依赖进口,解决能源短缺问题成为韩国历届政府面临的重大挑战。卢武铉上台以后,中东局势动荡不安,国际能源竞争愈演愈烈。因而,卢武铉政府高度重视“能源外交”,即继续保障中东石油的稳定供给,同时展开与哈萨克斯坦、俄罗斯以及东南亚、南美等地区产油国的能源合作,鼓励国内企业参与这些国家和地区的能源开发。随着我国经济的发展,能源形势日趋严峻,借鉴卢武铉政府的经验,我国的“能源外交”应从实施能源进口多元化战略、与世界能源生产国建立长期稳定的贸易伙伴关系、积极参与国外能源开发、加强国际能源合作等方面展开。     

联而不盟:国际安全合作中的准联盟理论

准联盟是指两个或两个以上国际实体在次级安全合作方针之上形成的安全管理模式,它与联盟、松散联盟、联合和协约等范畴之间存在类别上的差异。准联盟成员出于安全合作目的聚合力量,却不为安全合作签订正式盟约,体现出"联而不盟"之特点。准联盟构建的隐性逻辑是安全共同体、政治共同体、经济共同体、认知共同体或价值共同体意识的形成。后冷战时期,准联盟外交日趋频繁,这对当今世界的联盟体系将产生"侵蚀"作用。随着中国国家利益的内涵与外延不断丰富和扩展,准联盟将成为其维护安全、提高地位和拓宽海外利益的重要借助手段。     

从"双重国籍"的放弃看中国侨务与外交的关系

本文探讨了1954-1955年新中国通过谈判放弃"双重国籍"问题的外交背景,认为放弃"双重国籍"是新中国在权衡周边安全环境和国家利益得失后进行外交战略和策略调整的重大举措,也是同一时期中国进行外交战略和策略调整的重要佐证,还是将侨务与外交密切联系在一起的最为重大的历史事件.在此基础上,本文还论述了中国外交战略和策略调整背景下的侨务工作,既具体分析了侨务对外交的服从情况,又明确指出了侨务对外交的补充与支持作用.     

Economic statecraft in South Africa's regional diplomacy

This paper considers the extent to which South Africa utilises positive economic statecraft to promote human rights in the region – that is, the degree to which it mobilises its economic engagement to affect a desirable political outcome in its foreign engagements in Southern Africa. The country's reaction to crises in Zimbabwe and Swaziland over the past 20 years is a strong indicator of the limits of South Africa's statecraft in this regard. These engagements highlight the inevitable clash between the country's principled preference for ‘non-interference’ in the affairs of sovereign states and its constitutional mandate to respect and promote human rights. Despite eschewing the role of ‘regional hegemon’, there is an expectation that South Africa will play an integral role in securing regional stability. Yet there is little evidence to suggest that the country chooses to approach resolving regional challenges with a co-ordinated political and economic approach. This paper argues that, to be more effective in spreading a progressive regional agenda that encourages democracy, governance and human rights, South Africa needs to incorporate a stronger element of positive economic statecraft in its foreign policy implementation.     

China's expanding influence in Africa: projection,perception and prospects in Southern African countries

China's multi-faceted endeavour to expand its influence in Africa has attracted worldwide scholarly and media attention. This article examines the different moments of China's soft power endeavour, from projection through its state media to representation and lived experiences in South Africa and Zimbabwe, two African countries which receive a significant level of attention in China's policymaking. Through interdisciplinary methodologies such as content analysis, online questionnaires and in-depth interviews conducted in China, South Africa and Zimbabwe, the authors found that China's state-engineered soft power initiatives have resulted in partial success in the two countries. The conclusions indicate that China faces many challenges in fully accomplishing its intended goal. The findings provide new insight into China's political impact in Africa within the context of Beijing's growing influence on Africa's political and economic future.     

European diplomatic practices: contemporary challenges and innovative approaches

Abstract

As the aim of this special issue is to show practice approaches at work in the case of European diplomacy, this introduction provides readers with a hands-on sense of where the conversation about practices and European diplomacy currently stands. By introducing the key terms and overviewing the literature, the article contextualises the guiding questions of the special issue. It starts by reviewing how practice approaches have evolved in IR debates. It then describes European diplomacy’s nuts and bolts in a post-Lisbon setting. It continues by focusing on specific practices and analytical mechanisms that contribute to understand European diplomacy’s transformations and the role of security. While the debate about practices goes beyond the case of diplomacy, the latter has become a showcase for the former and this special issue continues the debate on practices and diplomacy by zooming in on the European Union.     

Building bridges? South African foreign policy and trilateral development cooperation

As questions concerning international development climb the international agenda, so countries find themselves drawn into a burgeoning number of negotiations on issues ranging from the future shape and direction of the post-2015 development agenda to ‘aid effectiveness’ and international development cooperation. Moving from the position of a ‘beneficiary’ state in the traditional donor–recipient aid hierarchy, South Africa is looking to define its own niche within the wider development diplomacy context as a development partner. This paper provides an assessment of South Africa's evolving approach towards international development cooperation, with a particular focus on trilateral development cooperation, and what this means for Pretoria's foreign policy in bridging the divide between developed and developing country positions within the international development regime.