Why study Chinese diplomacy

1
Why study Chinese diplomacy

• Diplomacy is a means to make China communicate
  with the world and protect its security from
  external dangers
• China is deeply involved with the world economic
  system
• What occurs around the world, far and near,
  sometimes affect China
• China is taking more responsible roles in the
  world
• Increasing exchanges of Chinese culture and
  lifestyles with those of foreign countries
• Chinese citizens can influence what their country
  does in foreign policy

2
Concepts of diplomacy

• The word waijiao (diplomacy) can be traced back
  as early as in the Spring and Autumn period (B.C.
  475-B.C. 221) in China. (????,?????????,????,???)
  Here the meaning of waijiao means civil
  subjects meeting their officials, or private
  exchange and communication.
• The word diplomacy in modern sense is from
  diploma in Greek, a commission document made by
  small wood, issued by the Roman Senate to the
  envoy that will go abroad for his identification,
  similar to letter of credence or credentials
  today.

3

• Diplomacy can be identified in three basic
  aspects
• a) who does diplomacy? (actors, players)
• b) How does diplomacy proceed? ( means,
  approaches)
• c) what goals does diplomacy is intended to
  achieve?
• (ends, goals)

4

• The content of diplomacy can be understood in
  both narrow and broad senses
• Narrowly, diplomacy can be understood as foreign
  relations.
• Broadly, it has three aspects in contents
• theories of diplomacy
• diplomatic policies
• diplomatic relations

5
Evolutions of Chinese diplomacy

• Three thirty years in Chinese foreign
  relations
• new democratic revolution (1919-1949)
• period of socialist revolution (1949-1979)
• period of socialist construction (1979-2009)

6

• the past sixty years fall into six periods
• 1) period of socialist revolution (1949-1979)
• period of identifying new Chinas diplomacy
  (1949-1955)
• period of adjusting Chinese diplomacy (1956-1965)
• period of radical thoughts in dominance
  (1966-1976)

7

• period of socialist construction (1979-2009)
• period of reforming and opening-up (1977-1989)
• period of adapting to post-cold war era
  (1990-2000)
• period of new development (2001- )

8
Shift of Modern Chinese Diplomatic Strategies

• Leaning to one side (1950s)
• Opposing imperialism and revisionism and
  promoting world revolution (1960s)
• opposing revisionism and hegemonism (1970s)
• Taking independent and peaceful development
  policies( 1980s )
• Taking low profile strategy and engagement
  strategy (1990s)
• Taking a responsible role (2000s)

9
Four Major Principles in modern Chinese Diplomacy

• Independence (maintain national sovereignty,
  national independence and autonomy, territorial
  integrity)
• Peacekeeping and opposing hegemony (maintain
  world peace and oppose hegemonism and power
  politics)
• Peaceful coexistence (mutual respect of
  sovereignty and territorial integrity,
  non-aggression, non-interference, equal benefits,
  peaceful coexistence)
• Building international political and economic new
  order (guarantee that all countries have equal
  rights to their respective developments)

10
Major events in modern Chinese diplomacy

• Opening to the Soviet Union
• Resolving most border issues with neighboring
  countries
• Establishing diplomatic relations with more than
  170 countries
• Restoring the PRCs legal position at UN
• Improving Sino-US relations and Chinas opening
  to the outside world again
• Resolving Hong Kong and Macau issues by the model
  of one country two systems
• Embracing the world and improving Chinas position

11
An Overview diplomacy in modern China

• Five major aspects
• ? nature of diplomacy in modern China
• ? positions of diplomacy in modern China
• ? eras and contexts in which Chinese diplomacy
  is located
• ? fundamental goals of Chinese diplomacy
• ? major characteristics of Chinese diplomacy
  with different Chinese leaders

12
II. Perspectives/approaches in the study of
diplomacy

• Levels
• 1. International system
• international structures ( material and
  ideational)
• 2. Domestic system
• national mechanisms (political systems,
  identities, national interests, and other
  domestic determinants)
• role of individuals/decision-makers (personality,
  competence, statecraft)

13

• Scopes
• bilateral/multilateral
• government to government relationship
• people to people relationship
• public diplomacy
• Fields
• political
• economic
• military
• social and cultural