The most significant change in the international community since
Sept.11, 2001 can be attributed to a shift in major power
relations, which is now seeing long brewing tensions coming to the
fore. It is especially worth noting the developments that have
taken place in bilateral relations between both China and the US,
and Russia and the US. In stark contrast to these, relations
between the EU and the US are becoming increasingly strained. This
state of affairs can be seen as the most conspicuous feature in
contemporary power relations.
An
improvement in Russian-US relations has been one of the most
encouraging outcomes since the Sept. 11 catastrophe, a key progress
made in the international community. Treaties such as The Treaty
Between US and Russia on Strategic Offensive Reductions, and The
Joint Declaration on the New Strategic Relationship Between US and
Russia, together with the Russian-NATO Council's focus on improving
cooperation between twenty countries, constitute a landmark phase
in US-Russian relations. These developments denote an historical
end to 13 years of cold war. Although there are many issues still
waiting to be resolved, in areas of politics, economics, and
security, a huge shift has seen increasing nuclear disarmament and
an improvement in Russian-NATO relations, making room further for
developments in bilateral relations.
While US-Russian relations have improved a great deal, Sino-Russian
relations have also shown signs of progress. Immediately after a
Russian-US summit, Russian and Chinese leaders, along with those of
four central Asian countries, signed the Shanghai Cooperation
Charter (SCC) at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's conference
in St. Petersburg, Russia. Here, participating countries agreed to
establish a regional anti-terrorism body, the Shanghai Cooperative
Organization, with a discrete and non-binding charter to lay the
legal and political foundation for cooperation and development
between Shanghai's cooperative body and other international
organizations.
Despite continuing problems over a range of concerns, Sino-Russian
bilateral relations in areas of economic trade, energy cooperation,
collaboration on military technology, and the improved mechanism of
current strategic cooperation are all showing positive signs. The
huge potential to resolve a series of regional and global problems
indicates that a breakthrough in US-Russian relations, this time,
hasn't come at the expense of Sino-Russian strategic
cooperation.
It
appears that developments in Sino-US relations have not made as
much progress as those involving Russian and the US. Yet, with
Sino-US affairs constituting one of the most important bilateral
relationships in this post cold war era, it's palpable that
improved anti-terrorism cooperation will work toward safeguarding
regional security, and attracting proper attention both at home and
aboard.
At
a time when Russian-US relations are making momentous progress, it
is significant that China too welcome these international
advancements. This declaration will not only reflect China's
evolving attitudes towards the outside world, but also demonstrate
the possibility of formal trilateral associations between China,
Russia and the US.
However, it also must be recognized that current developments in
major power relationships are being accompanied by many
unparalleled trends. These developments cannot hide the rise and
fall of major powers and the changing nature of their historical
antagonists.
Sharp contrasts are being displayed between the increasingly
unilateral tendency of US, and the multi-lateral cooperation being
advanced by the rest of the world. One year on, from Sept. 11, and
the world is gradually beginning to recognize the Bush
administration's unwillingness to shift foreign policy to more a
multilateral platform. On the contrary, Bush and his advisors tend
to be taking an ever more hawkish stance.
The picture now is that China and Russia are both adopting a
restrained and flexible approach to the US in order to maintain the
benefits of bilateral relations for the longer term. In this
respect, the international community, since Sept.11, is seeing rise
to the polarization of "multilateral vs. unilateral" concerns, a
phenomena that has not been seen since the end of the cold war
era.
Major power shifts since Sept.11 suggest that a power structure not
unlike that of the Roman Empire may be on the horizon. But this
power configuration has not won the support of key international
instruments such as the WTO, WB, IMF or NATO. Currently,
international relations are still in a transitional phase with many
issues still to be resolved.
What is more, Sept.11 has served to strengthen many new trends and
issues that have emerged since the end of the Cold War. Of these
new issues, whether or not the US will direct like a supreme ruler,
or defer to multilateral cooperation, is of fundamental importance.
Although the US has already attained a unique level power, it will
surely miss out on the support of international community should it
attempt to govern the world with Romanesque conceit. From an
economic perspective, the WTO, WB, and IMF are not apparatus
dominated by the US to serve its interests of global hegemony. In
terms of politics, the most vital international organization, the
United Nations, no longer bows to the demands of the US, as once
was the case. Even NATO is refusing to accept the US's
unilateralist stance.
Finally, another noticeable occurrence since Sept.11 has been the
rise and fall of major powers concentrated in the Asia sub-region.
Several areas representing tensions between major powers, such as
Afghanistan, Kashmir, the Middle East, and the Korean peninsula,
all remind people the importance of regional cooperation and
mutually beneficial mechanisms to protect peace and stability in
the area.
The author is director of the Russian Studies Center at the East
China Normal University.
(china.org.cn, translated by Zheng Guihong, September 17, 2002)