By Yu Sui
China has been developing and perfecting its international
strategies and foreign policies to facilitate its efforts to build
socialism with Chinese characteristics and has formed an almost
complete system since implementing the policy of reform and opening
up to the world.
By studying the global situation, Chinese leaders have adopted
basic viewpoints, which serve well as guidelines.
A dominant characteristic of world affairs in the half-century
before and after World War II is the militarization of politics.
The world witnessed many wars and revolutions throughout the years,
making "war and revolution" a fitting theme of that era. As the
global situation evolved, people of all countries began demanding
ever more urgently a peaceful environment for rebuilding the
society, economic development and raising people's living
standards. In the mid-1980s, China identified the theme of the time
as "peace and development" and is still of the view today. The
nation has been pursuing peace, development and co-operation
accordingly.
War and peace: Chinese leaders concluded in the mid-1980s that
it was possible to avoid a large-scale world war for a relatively
long period of time and adjusted the nation's international
strategies accordingly, so as to focus as much energy as possible
on its reforms, opening and the modernization drive. Later, they
characterized the global situation as regional tensions amid
overall detente; regional wars amid overall peace and regional
unrest amid overall stability.
Structure of the world: This refers to the multi-polar structure
of the world, globalization of the world economy and diversified
development patterns. The Chinese leadership believes that
multi-polarism is growing, albeit in twists and turns, that
economic globalization is a "double-edged sword" and that
diversified development patterns represent mutual recognition among
different civilizations, which can learn from one another.
World order: China believes that all nations, big or small,
strong or weak and rich or poor, should be equal as sovereign
states and participate in international affairs together. They
should discard the Cold-War mentality, solve international disputes
or conflicts through peaceful means, never use or threaten to use
force against one another and seek to build a new world order
characterized by peace, stability, justice and reason.
Social systems: The Chinese leaders have renounced the old
thinking that categorically separates socialism from capitalism and
adopted the stand that socialism (at its initial stage or beyond)
must utilize all achievements made by the human society in the
capitalist period of development and the two social systems can
co-exist. The capitalist world is by far the main purveyor of high-
and new-technology and knowledge-centric economy. A threat to
socialism as it is, capitalism suffers some defects that are in
fact advantages for socialism in competition against
capitalism.
China has to embrace the whole world for its development. To
join the rest of the world, it must first know the world as well as
itself. This knowledge covers the following:
Self recognition: China is, at the same time, a major and minor
power, one that is in a hurry to become a bona fide major power
with advanced productivity and culture and still at the initial
stage of socialist development. China is also a developing country
with an enormous population and inadequate economic foundation.
The theory about "the initial stage of socialism" serves as the
basis for the formulation of China's domestic development strategy,
while that of being a "developing country" is basis for the
formulation of international strategy and foreign policies.
Diversified world and democratized international relations: The
diversity of civilizations in various countries is a fundamental
characteristic of the human society and the power that drives human
civilization forward. Civilizations and social systems should learn
while competing against one another and develop together by seeking
common ground without losing their uniqueness. The democratization
of international relations requires all countries to follow the
universally recognized basic rules governing foreign relations as
well as the aim and principles of the United Nations Charter. The
democratization of international relations and diversification of
the world are connected.
Interaction between individual nations: Competition and
co-operation co-exist between individual nations just as frictions
and compromises do. Nations should step up dialogue and negotiation
to gauge the kind of interactive relationship characterized by
universal benefit, non-hostility and mutual assistance. For the
handling of its foreign relations, China follows the principles of
national interest, equality and mutual benefit, anti-hegemony,
non-alignment, no ideological discrimination, joint development,
working for the future and supporting the United Nations' central
role.
Opportunities and challenges co-exist: National interests demand
an optimized international environment to maximize opportunities
and deal with challenges. Challenges can be turned into
opportunities when the right strategies are applied appropriately;
otherwise opportunities could become challenges.
"Seize the opportunities, deepen the reforms, expand the scope
of opening to the outside world, maintain stability and gear up
development" is China's adopted guiding principle.
Since economic reforms began in 1979, China has gained some new
experience in handling foreign affairs as seen in the methodology
the country has been refining, which is best illustrated in the
following aspects:
The relationship between national interest and contribution to
mankind: Upholding the principle of national interest does not
interfere with or counter the belief that "China should make
considerable contributions to mankind."
China is a developing country. But that does not prevent it from
supporting the just causes of the international community as best
it can. The nation always seeks to create "win-win" or "all-win"
situations in foreign relations maneuvering, while steadfastly
guarding its own interest.
The relationship between developed and developing countries as
seen in China's foreign strategy: China stands firmly in the ranks
of developing countries, supporting one another with seamless
teamwork to safeguard their rights and interests against any form
of power politics.
At the same time, China also attaches importance to developing
and improving its relations with developed countries according to
the principle of not letting the differences in social system and
ideology stand in the way of expanding the meeting point of their
common interests and appropriately resolving any difference on the
basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence.
The relationship between non-alignment and strategic
co-operation: China is pushing for all-round strategic co-operation
with friendly countries without forming the Cold War-style
alliance.
It also emphasizes that the nature of healthy bilateral ties
means no design against third countries, the sound handling of a
three-party relationship must not pit any two against one and that
gang politics is a way backward.
The nation advocates "mutual trust, mutual benefit; equality and
co-operation" as well as "respect for different civilizations and
desire for joint development."
It also calls for the construction of a harmonious world, or
harmonious regions, with "lasting peace" and "common prosperity" in
mind. All this is born of the Chinese traditional wisdom that
"peace is gold."
The relationship between unequivocal principles and flexible
strategies: China sticks to its principles while seeking common
ground with other countries by sidelining differences. It also
actively develops bilateral ties with other countries in the belief
that mutual trust benefits security and mutual benefit enables
co-operation.
All said, China's forward-looking foreign strategies are based
on independence and self-determination, a peaceful nature and the
desire to advance with the times.
The author is a senior research fellow of Research Centre of
Contemporary World.
(China Daily September 4, 2006)
