China in need of diplomatic innovation

Source:Global Times Published: 2014-6-10 18:33:01

Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

Editor's Note:

As China is playing an increasingly active role on the world stage, many view China differently than a few decades ago. Meanwhile, there are discussions that China's diplomacy needs to adapt to the times. Under such circumstances, the Institute of Modern International Relations of Tsinghua University filed a report, Reforming Chinese Diplomacy Through Innovation, and invited three experts for comments.

The report offers insights in four aspects: the necessity of Chinese diplomacy through innovation, how to innovate diplomatic thoughts, the innovation of diplomatic strategies, and reforms of diplomatic institutions.

Although the notion of reform and innovation hasn't been formally applied to diplomacy, changes both within and outside China have prompted alterations in its diplomatic work in the past 30 years.

In a global pattern of intense multipolarization led by two leading powers and the rapid expansion of China's overseas interests, Chinese diplomacy will demand reform and innovation.

After the Cold War, Chinese diplomacy was guided by the principle of taoguang yanghui, or hiding its capacities and biding its time, which stemmed from the thought of anti-hegemony. China rapidly shed its isolation and made amazing achievements.

However, as the international environment and China's own international status have changed, if Chinese diplomacy is still guided by the past principles, reform and innovation can hardly be carried out. China can, for example, create a theory of peaceful competition.

China has been facing more international conflicts. Strategies that aim at avoiding and solving these conflicts are not enough. Therefore, China should rethink its own diplomatic strategies.

China should take the initiative to create strategic opportunities for itself. The establishment of the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) in the East China Sea is a successful example.

Last, if diplomatic staff knowledge is to be updated and their work initiative enhanced, institutional reforms are needed. For example, some policies can be simplified and some authorities can be delegated to people at the lower level.

Wang Tianling, Counselor of the Policy Planning Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

There are several suggestions for China's diplomacy and its reforms.

First, it should be based on the global trend. China should have not only the awareness of peaceful competition, but also the perspective of civilization.

The world is heading toward a knowledge economy and knowledge era. The US and the West, which China views as strategic rivals, are leading the civilization of mankind. If China wants to be at the forefront of civilization, it should acknowledge this trend.

China can have good relations with some countries, but it must be clear that some of these countries are underdeveloped in terms of civilization.

China has paid its attention mainly to domestic reforms which involve the fields of politics, economy, culture and society. The political resources will be inward-oriented.

In the near future, China's diplomacy will have to serve domestic interests. Therefore China needs to strike a balance with achieving remarkable results outside.

Jia Qingguo, director of the School of International Studies of Peking University

There are a few aspects where I cannot agree with the report.

According to the report, the relations between China and the other countries can be viewed as the big versus the small. Compared with China's neighboring countries, China has become more and more powerful, and their development pace cannot match that of China's. But if compared with the US and some European countries, China still cannot view itself as big.

As for the saying that the world will be divided into two poles, I don't think it is a trend in the near future.

Some scholars believe the US-led West is one group while China and Russia form the other, and therefore other countries have to take a side. But international relations will hardly evolve to that situation.

I agree with the report saying that we have to create strategic opportunities citing the example of China's establishment of the ADIZ. But China also has to note that the ADIZ made China's neighboring countries feel unease, and highlighted the conflict between China and the US when China has been saying the two should build up a new type of major power relations.

Cui Liru, former president of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations

The report says that China needs to create the theory of peaceful competition. This notion is not new, but still applies to the current era of peace and development.

The Chinese civilization came to its peak at an early time and long enjoyed superiority.

But as the Western civilization developed, the defects of Chinese culture began to show, which was a lack of the thought of competition.

Competition is the driving force of social development. China's reform and opening-up in the late 1970s brought in the market economy, the essence of which is competition.

The new type of major power relations is a kind of peaceful competition. To the least extent, China should try to avoid head-on confrontation, and to the best extent it should strengthen cooperation with other countries and create a win-win situation.



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