Xi Jinping on Multilateralism: Ideological Connotations and Practical Value

LIU Zhenye

ABSTRACT: Xi Jinping’s exposition of multilateralism has rich theoretical connotations,and is the fundamental guideline and principle to direct China to practice multilateralism and promote the reform of global multilateral governance.Its ideological connotations mainly include adhering to the principle of genuine multilateralism; promoting openness and inclusiveness; increasing consultation and cooperation; upholding international laws and norms;strengthening the authority and effectiveness of the United Nations; adhering to promoting global governance reform and leading the construction of a new multilateral platform; the ultimate ideal pursuit of constructing community with a shared future for mankind and creating a new form of human civilization.The core values of fairness and justice,win-win cooperation,inclusiveness and mutual learning contained in Xi Jinping’s exposition of multilateralism have important theoretical innovation significance and practical value for expanding global democratic consultation and democratization of international relations.

KEYWORDS: multilateralism,fairness and justice,democratization of international relations

China’s Global Development Initiative and the Improvement of the Global Governance System

MAO Ruipeng

ABSTRACT: Providing international initiatives with moral appeal can help the initiating countries to enhance their influence in the global governance system and lead the direction of the international order through agenda setting and discourse shaping.The Global Development Initiative (GDI) is a major initiative by China to promote sustainable global development and facilitate changes in the global governance system.The GDI helps to push development issues back to the center of the international agenda and delegitimize the U.S.strategy of great power competition with China,while helping to promote international development knowledge exchange and enhance China’s image as a global development contributor.Demonstrating a good reputation for implanting the sustainable development agenda,garnering support from key partners and the UN development system,and increasing development assistance are the main paths in which China is currently promoting the GDI on the ground.Looking ahead,the GDI needs to further strengthen its institutionalization and actively respond to challenges from the West,and strive to become a platform for international cooperation that promotes synergy and inclusiveness.

KEYWORDS: Global Development Initiative,2030 Agenda,United Nations,international institutions

The Conflict-Cooperation Complex of China-U.S.Relations

ZHANG Falin

ABSTRACT: China-U.S.relations cannot be simply described as a conflict or cooperation but present a conflict-cooperation complex (CCCs).The CCCs can be observed from four aspects: relation spectrum,stratification,clustering and fluctuation.Relation spectrum refers to that the China-US interactions are not the dichotomy of conflict and cooperation but a pedigree from conflict to cooperation.This pedigree includes at least seven types: explicit violent conflict,explicit nonviolent conflict,implicit conflict,coercive cooperation,competitive cooperation,dependent cooperation and symmetric cooperation.Among different issue areas,China-U.S.interactions and relations are diverse,which is described as relation stratification.In terms of geographical space,China-U.S.relations show the relation clustering,embodied as relation networks centered on China or the U.S.relation spectrum,stratification and clustering constitute the overall China-U.S.relations and determine the relation fluctuation over a long term.The CCCs provides not only new empirical problems for theory studies,but also an empirical basis for the management of China-U.S.relations and the formulation of China’s foreign policy.

KEYWORDS: conflict-cooperation complex,China-U.S.relations,conflict management,international order changes

Actions and Attitudes of the U.S.and Russia toward Regime Changes of the Post-Soviet States: Regime Diffusion or Geopolitical Interests

WANG Dong and WANG Yaozheng

ABSTRACT: Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union,major powers such as the United States and Russia have developed different foreign policies toward intervention in post-Soviet states.While theories of regime diffusion are effective in explaining U.S.actions and attitudes,such theories are inadequate to explain Russia’s actions.Therefore,in addition to regime diffusion and geopolitical interests,the pair of key explanatory variables,this article introduces geopolitical interests as an additional explanatory variable to discuss whether or not Russia intends to promote regime diffusion in post-Soviet states.This article selects Russia and the United States,two countries contrasting in institutional choices and geopolitical demands,to analyze and test the intervention mechanism.The results show that when a country has a strong willingness to promote its regime type abroad,it tends to intervene in the institutional choices of post-Soviet states while taking less consideration of its geopolitical interests; when a country’s willingness to spread its regime type is weak,and the appeal of geopolitical interests is high,it also tends to intervene in these countries; when a country’s willingness for regime diffusion and the appeal of geopolitical interests are low,it often adopts a non-interventionist policy.

KEYWORDS: post-Soviet states,regime diffusion,geopolitical interests,intervention mechanism

Overseas Infrastructure Competition and the EU’s “Global Gateway”Initiative

LI Yuan and GONG Haoyu

ABSTRACT: Overseas infrastructure is not only closely related to economic development,but also faces fierce competition.The EU launched the “Global Gateway” in 2021.The plan is a consolidation and upgrading of the EU’s existing regional cooperation initiatives,highlighting global and geostrategic considerations,and setting out a clear plan for the EU’s overseas infrastructure cooperation model in terms of priority areas,cooperation principles and financing methods.Given the fierce competition among overseas infrastructure initiatives,the U.S.,Japan and the EU are highly concerned with the so-called“high quality” and “soft” infrastructure,highlighting rules-and values-driven cooperation,and seeking closer collusion with each other.The EU is committed to making the “Global Gateway” a strategic platform for global infrastructure cooperation,but its future implementation will be influenced by its own capabilities and the external environment.The future direction of the initiative may be characterized by multiple scenarios of “bandwagoning,” “hedging,” and“l(fā)everaging.” China and the EU should strengthen cooperation in the field of infrastructure,adhere to true multilateralism and contribute to the development of the world economy.

KEYWORDS: EU,Global Gateway,connectivity,overseas infrastructure

Indo-Pacific Economic Framework: Mapping New Thinking in U.S.Trade Policy

CHEN Liang

ABSTRACT: The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) reflects a new strategic thinking in U.S.trade policy for the Indo-Pacific region in the context of a fundamentally changed logic in response to a shifting global trade landscape.Unlike traditional trade agreements that put a premium on wider market access and lower tariffs,this U.S.-led regional initiative aims at setting higher standards,securing more resilient supply chains,and reshuffling trade blocs to counter Beijing’s growing economic clout.In trying to align its trade policy with those of regional actors,the Biden administration wants to tilt the global economic balance of power in Washington’s favor and shape the geoeconomic environment around Beijing.Against this backdrop,Beijing needs to craft a comprehensive strategic response to fend off the possible economic offensives from Washington and meet new challenges arising from a world in flux.

KEYWORDS: Indo-Pacific strategy,new thinking,trade policy,friend-shoring

The Logic and Influence of the Biden Administration’s Nuclear Arms Control Policy toward Russia

ZHONG Zhenming and WAN Kun

ABSTRACT: President Biden’s nuclear arms control policy toward Russia is affected by multiple internal and external factors.These include the urgent need to deal with the fragile strategic stability between the United States and Russia,to repair Washington’s image and discourse power on international arms control,to secure more opportunities to improve its strategic competitiveness,and to ease financial pressure through arms control.The Biden administration tried to promote U.S.-Russia nuclear arms control initially by extending the new arms control treaty and holding strategic stability dialogue.However,the conflict between Russia and Ukraine interrupted its policy advancement,and the United States subsequently linked this issue with the geopolitical conflict.In the whole process,Biden’s policy change reflects the characteristics of being positive and progressive,but the bottom line is staying vigilant to Russia and exerting sustained pressure on Russia as America is facing serious obstacles due to the confrontation of strategic principles of both countries,the institutional flaws in the bilateral arms control framework,and the rapid development of new hi-tech weapons.

KEYWORDS: Biden administration,nuclear arms control,great power politics,strategic stability,Russia-Ukraine conflict

The Impact of Terrorism on Refugee Protection and Counterbalancing Norms

TAN Chenyi

ABSTRACT: With the increase of terrorist attacks launched by terrorists disguised as refugees,more states begin to put into effect the rule of excluding terrorists from refugee status prescribed by S/RES/1373 (2001) for preventing terrorism.However,there is concern that this rule would be interpreted broadly,so that some persecuted applicants might be identified as persons having a terrorist connection and excluded from refugee status.To keep balance between preventing terrorism and protecting refugees,states should first understand that terrorists only account for a small percentage of the population of refugees,and that applicants are,on many occasions,victims of terrorism,so are those coerced to assist terrorists.Then states are supposed to clarify the harmonious relationship between sovereignty and protection of human rights.On this basis,while applying the exclusion clause,states should restrictively interpret relevant terminologies,seek for the autonomous international meaning of the provision,and make sure the decision conforms to the principle of proportionality.This approach is consistent with the aim of the 1951 Refugee Convention—balancing the humanitarian spirit with the need of safeguarding national interests.

KEYWORDS: refugee protection,national security,the rule of excluding terrorists from refugee status,border governance