ABSTRACTS

The Chinese School of international relations theory, in a broad sense, refers to an academic community formed by Chinese scholars or scholars in line with the Chinese academic position aiming to promote the construction of the diplomatic discourse, international theoretical confidence, and autonomous knowledge system of international relations. Xi Jinping’s diplomatic thought represents a leading symbol in the new phase of development of the Chinese School. Firstly, it has been considered a representative of Chinese IR theory.Secondly, it contributes remarkably to the construction of global IR theories.Thirdly, it plays a vital role in guiding the Chinese School in the struggle for theoretical discourse between China and the United States. Meanwhile, it shows at least three prominent influences on the growth of the Chinese School.Ontologically, it provides a decisive impetus to studying cultural cooperation and civilizational relations in IR theory. Epistemologically, it further deepens current understandings of timely issues, international system, major power responsibilities, and international rules. Methodologically, it better transforms core theories such as the international community theory with the methodology of practical materialism.

Xi Jinping Though on Diplomacy, Chinese School, international relations theory, innovation, history

Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy is the crystallization of the CPC's collective wisdom, a new theoretical achievement of the Party, and the result of long-term exploration by the Chinese Communists represented by Xi Jinping.The Thought is the inheritance and development of China's diplomatic thought,derived from the in-depth excavation and application of ancient Chinese wisdom,the inheritance and development of Marxist views and methods, and a profound summary of the useful theoretical achievements and practical experience of the PRC's diplomacy. To sum up, it has two main characteristics, the epochal and transcendental significance. Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy is a profound answer to the issues of the world and questions of our time, and it responds to the question of the path of socialism and the relationship between China and the world amid great changes unseen in a century. Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy is a reflection and transcendence of the old Western theories of international relations, and a new concept of human universal values, national security outlook,and global governance.

Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, community with a shared future for mankind, epochal change, Chinese diplomacy

Over the past 70 years, China and the United States have experienced a process of strategic confrontation, strategic rapprochement,strategic cooperation, and strategic competition. International organizations are an important arena and tool for strategic competition between China and the United States, as well as an expansion of bilateral and regional strategic competition. The evolution of the strategic competition between China and the United States in international organizations reflects the changes in the balance of power and international status of the two countries, the transformation of their roles and functions in international organizations, and the impact of their relationship on the changes of the international system. In the strategic competition in international organizations, the United States still dominates, but China has also gained advantages in some areas. The strategic competition between China and the United States is a decisive factor in the international landscape and international order. And this competition in international organizations is more directly reflected in and affects the reshaping of international rules, the reconstruction of international order, the reorganization of international leadership, and the direction of change in the global governance system.

international organizations, Sino-U.S. strategic competition,international order, global governance

Major powers are often the initiators and designers of international organizations. Whether the organizational schemes set for international organizations are scientific and politically feasible is relevant to the performance of the organizations and the prospect of multilateral cooperation. The United States’ interaction with UNESCO is a failed case of its design and leadership of international organizations. Using UNESCO to serve the Cold War, the United States violated the operating law of international organizations in terms of designing the UNESCO’s objectives, organizational structure, and rules of action,which led the organization to deviate from the original intentions of its founding members and the expectation of the United States itself. Designers of international organizations should draw lessons from the failure of the United States in designing and leading UNESCO, grasp the nature and principles of international organizations, identify the basic consensus of members in a specific cooperation field, recognize their own roles and strategic aspirations and combine them with the consensus of all, and then integrate into the organizational scheme of the organization.

international organizations, designers, organizational scheme, the U.S., UNESCO

EU’s economic diplomacy towards China has undergone a major change, shifting from “Change Through Trade” to “Responsible Coexistence.”EU believes that the old framework has led to an imbalance in distribution of economic interests, while the EU benefits less and fails to maintain economic security or push China to make changes in accordance with the wishes of the West. By reshaping a diversified and localized economic and trade network,launching more targeted trade and investment tools, strengthening coordination of foreign economic policies between the “Alliance of Western nations,” EU seeks to address China’s “systemic competition.” Although the new framework emphasizes values and antagonizes different ideologies, it doesn’t seek to change China, nor to decouple from China. The new framework is passive and defensive;its effectiveness depends not only on EU’s policy implementation, but also on China’s policy towards EU. China should broaden China-EU common interests,“l(fā)ock in” the “strategic” nature of China-EU relations: insist economic and trade cooperation, seek greater strategic synergy in the field of green development, and foster cooperation in global economic governance.

EU, economic diplomacy, China-EU relations, Change Through Trade, Responsible Coexistence

Southeast Asia is an important region for major-power infrastructure competition. As the largest infrastructure investor in the region, Japan, challenged by China’s Belt and Road Initiative, seeks to rival with China to gain regional strategic interests and shape regional order, so as to avoid the decline of its regional influence. Reviewing the competition between the two sides in Southeast Asia, the infrastructure output capacity is an important deciding factor.The overseas infrastructure initiatives or actions of China and Japan have different characteristics in terms of investment and financing modes and cooperation modes, leading to differences in infrastructure output capacity. With strong investment and financing capacity, flexible cooperation mode and mature infrastructure technology, China has certain advantages. In contrast, Japan’s reliance on private capital makes it hard to maintain its infrastructure output capacity. The decline of Japan’s fiscal capacity caused the change in its competition strategy. While building an exclusive infrastructure alliance with the United States, Japan strengthened to promote its own infrastructure principles.Facing the complex regional infrastructure competition, China should continue to support and participate in ASEAN-centered regional cooperation.

China-Japanese relations, infrastructure competition, Belt and Road Initiative, Southeast Asia infrastructure construction

The rapid development and military application of AI present new challenges to international security, which are mainly reflected in the recent lowering of the threshold for war and the proliferation of AI weapons, the weakening of strategic stability in the medium term, and the long-term threat of super AI to the existence of mankind. These security risks have global implications and cannot be addressed by any country alone. In this context, the concept and practice of AI global security governance came into being. In this field, there is now an overall picture of multiple actors participating together but lacking coordination, various platforms and norms emerging but with limited effect, and lethal autonomous weapon systems as the main governance object but with slow progress. To effectively deal with the international security risks brought about by AI, it is necessary to uphold the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, adopt a risk-based global governance approach, take measures such as confidence-building measures between countries, hierarchical control of autonomous weapon systems, tighten export controls, gradually promote the global security governance process of AI, and maintain global stability.

artificial intelligence, autonomous weapons, security risk, strategic stability, global security governance

Artificial intelligence is profoundly changing the theoretical basis of traditional nuclear deterrence and becoming a new variable affecting global strategic stability. Major military powers in the world are competing to use artificial intelligence as a new commanding height of strategic competition. In the field of conventional weapons, artificial intelligence can promote the disruptive change of the traditional war mode and accelerate the war toward intelligence. In the field of nuclear weapons, artificial intelligence can enhance nuclear deterrence forces of nuclear nations and promote the nuclear decision-making to be more intelligent. In the long run, the application of artificial intelligence in both conventional and nuclear weapons may generate new dangers and risks, impact and challenge the existing strategic stability based on nuclear deterrence. The international community should focus on the development of technology, structure, mechanism and governance in the process of artificial intelligence militarization, reduce the risk of strategic stability caused by the military application of artificial intelligence, and create favorable conditions for the establishment of a new global strategic stability system.

artificial intelligence, militarization, nuclear deterrent, strategic stability