Interactive Innovation of Chinas Diplomatic and Security Theories in the New Era
YANG Jiemian
ABSTRACT: The 18th CPC Congress marked a new era for Chinas domestic and foreign policies. Building on traditional Chinese culture and Marxism, China has achieved remarkable progress in diplomatic theory building in terms of theoretic framework, issue orientation, and methodologies, and now it is now time for systematic integration. While preparing for the CPC 19th Congress, we should heighten consciousness of practice and theory, enhance issue awareness, grasp the essence of the matters, conduct analytic researches, work at effective solutions, and stress summarization and crystallization, thus forming new concepts and theories. While building Chinas system of diplomatic theories, it is necessary to better align foreign policy with security and domestic polices; integrate diplomatic philosophy, theories, strategies, and policies; properly handle the relationships between Chinese characteristics, international relevance, and worldwide significance; and increase the applicability of theories in diplomatic practice.
KEYWORDS: Chinas diplomatic theory, concept of comprehensive national security, innovative diplomatic theories
How to Build Chinas Diplomatic Risks Early Warning Module
ZHANG Chun
ABSTRACT: Increasing complexity of global politics since the beginning of the twenty-first century implies growing risks to Chinas expanding foreign engagement. How to guard against various diplomatic risks and avoid being entangled in diplomatic crises is one of the most considerable challenges for China. Of all the preventative measures against diplomatic risk, the building of an early warning and rapid-response system is one of the most efficient and cost-effective. Although common practice in early warning system building might be useful to China, two distinct Chinese characteristics—the non-interference principle and Chinas self-identification as a rising global power—will distinguish Chinas approach from international practice. Chinas diplomatic risks early warning module should take three factors into consideration, namely, stability of the host country, stability of the bilateral relationship, and external spillover effects. A module thus built can effectively detect and monitor the potential national, transnational, and systematic risks to Chinas diplomacy, leaving sufficient time for China to come up with targeted and comprehensive early response prescriptions.
KEYWORDS: diplomatic risk, early warning, early response, module building
Chinas Clean Energy Diplomacy and the Belt and Road Initiative: Opportunities, Challenges, and Capacity Building
LI Xinlei
ABSTRACT: The objective of Chinas clean energy diplomacy is multifold: protecting national green energy security, promoting energy transformation, achieving good governance of regional clean energy, and constructing a new order for better global energy governance. The Belt and Road Initiative has injected new impetus into Chinas energy diplomacy in that the ever-growing demand for clean energy in countries along the two routes calls for greater resource complementarity, industrial capacity upgradation, and more effective green financing institutions. In the face of the multiple constraining factors—political and economic uncertainties, geopolitical competitions between great powers, vulnerable ecosystems, and divergent policies and standards—China needs to build its overall capacity for more robust energy diplomacy by focusing on five aspects, namely, green energy diplomacy, institution building, resource allocation, green finance, and discoursive power, with a view to building a green community of shared destiny.
KEYWORDS: Belt and Road Initiative, clean energy diplomacy, strategic capacity, community of share destiny, energy governance
U.S. Wedge Strategy and Prealignment in the Asia-Pacific Region
WANG Xiaohu
ABSTRACT: (Dis)alignment has been a constant topic in the U.S. foreign policy discourse since the end of the Cold War. The new administrations foreign policy is still in the making, and alliance politics will surely take its due place. Wedge strategy is an integral part of U.S. strategy in the Asia-Pacific, with the aim of forestalling the formation of any anti-U.S. Security alliance or coalition. In theory, the effective of U.S. wedge strategy depends on the effective application of two approaches—endorsement and compensation. In practice, the United States is driving a strategic wedge between a rising China and its increasingly nervous neighbors with a view to tilt the regional balance of power in U.S. Favor. The most effective countermeasure that China should adopt is greater strategic perseverance.
KEYWORDS: wedge strategy, China-U.S. relations, balance of threat, prealignment
On Constructing a Protective System for Chinas Interests Overseas
CUI Shoujun
ABSTRACT: There is a wide gap between “security supply” and the growing demand for better protection of Chinas overseas interests as a result of the dramatic expansion of Chinese companies abroad. It is, therefore, essential to establish a well-rounded overseas interests protective system that is capable of advancing the Belt and Road Initiative, protecting overseas Chinese communities, and providing logistic services for Chinas peacekeeping operations. The effectiveness of such a system depends on substantive coordination and cooperation between the government and the private sector. The government should initiate an inter-agency effort and provide substantial incentives to whip up the private sectors enthusiasm. On the government side, consular protection is the backbone of the system. On the side of the private sector, efforts by private companies, enterprises with overseas business, insurance companies, and Chinese communities abroad are also indispensable.
KEYWORDS: overseas security risk, consular protection, security interest, protective system
Global Commons: Connotations, Ethical Dilemma, and Behavioral Logics
ZHENG Yingqin
ABSTRACT: Global commons refers to the resource domains that are beyond jurisdiction of a sovereign state. This article discusses the connotations and attributes of global commons. By studying the origin of this concept, the article reveals that the concept itself means a kind of norm that transcends national sovereignty. The dilemma of global commons lies in that their public ownership determines that the maximization of national interests are restricted, while the open access to them allows nations of power and capabilities to obtain benefits. To strike a balance between the national interests and the global ones is quite a challenge. This article identifies two types of behavioral logics, which are the logic of rationality and that of practicality. Interactions between these two types of behavioral logics refrain nations from seeking their own good. To maintain the public attributes of global commons, it is imperative to strengthen the institutional construction so as to effectively regulate the national behaviors. However, the current governance of global commons is confronted with several challenges, such as the outdated institutions and the trend of securitization. China, as a major power, can play a constructive role in the international governance of global commons by providing ideas and institutional public goods for a more just and reasonable order.
KEYWORDS: global commons, ethical dilemma, behavioral logics, global governance
Delimitation of the Continental Shelf in Arctic Seas: Legal Disputes and Chinas Policy
Zhang Cheng
ABSTRACT: Delimitation of continental shelf in Arctic seas is a core issue in the development of the Arctic legal order. Legal disputes over continental shelf delimitation in Arctic seas are brought by unlimited direct application of the UNCLOS rules, and will further influence the geopolitical situation and legal status of the Arctic region. However, the new system design on outer continental shelf delimitation rules in the UNCLOS and current legal framework of Arctic region have made this place a blind spot in international regulation, which provides systematic convenience for certain Arctic states to occupy Arctic region under the pretext of the UNCLOS. Therefore, China should enhance its legal practices and response capacity in Arctic affairs, and formulate strategies for Arctic continental shelf issues, especially the outer continental shelf delimitation, so as to protect its rights and interests in the Arctic region.
KEYWORDS: Arctic seas, continental shelf delimitation, UNCLOS, arctic governance
On the Co-governance of Fishing Activities on the High Seas in the Central Arctic Ocean
BAI Jiayu and ZHUANG Li
ABSTRACT: Climate change is melting the Arctic sea ice. As fishes and other marine living resources are moving to higher latitudes, the Arctic sea may become a new fishing ground, making fishing an important issue in Arctic governance. At present, international conventions, bilateral and multilateral agreements, and regional fisheries management organization have not achieved good governance of fishing, and cooperative regimes still remain deficient. In the future, stakeholders should join hands in building scientific research platforms, and formulate an international agreement for Arctic commercial fisheries, and realize common governance. As a stakeholder in Arctic fishing activities, China should participate in the formulation of regional fisheries agreement and pay close attention to the governance development. Meanwhile, China should enhance cooperation with states in and outside the Arctic region, improve the sustainable exploitation of Arctic fishery resources, perform its duties as an observer in Arctic Council, so as to witness the future efficient common governance of high seas fishing in the Central Arctic Ocean.
KEYWORDS: high seas, Central Arctic Ocean, common governance of fishing, international fishery agreement