Abstract
There have been several profound features embedded in the contemporary Chinese political leadership, all having their roots in the Chinese centuries-long traditions or the modern/contemporary creative practice, together with their shaping impacts upon China’s foreign policy or remarkable reflections in her external behavior. They are: reforms inherently differentiated; central idea of “maintenance”, notion of “biological circle governing universe”, paradox in the question of equality, the emphasis on morality, overwhelmingly domestic function of foreign policy, firm belief in the Chineseness per sue and its overwhelming importance, and political prudence in the perennial context of “Strong China, Weak China.” China is facing enormous domestic historical challenges and substantial international pressure, while a generally peaceful China can be assured at least from her self-regarding realistic perspective.
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Notes
For China’s contemporary daguo waijiao, the most focused and detailed research which has been produced is probably that by Dr. Zhang Dengji, a Taiwanese scholar. See Zhang [26].
Even as early as 1981 under Deng Xiaoping, the government had launched a national movement of “Five stresses and four points of beauty” (wujiang shimei). The five stresses are: stress on decorum, manners, hygiene, discipline and morals; The four points of beauty are: beauty of the mind, language, behavior and the environment. For details see People’s Daily [11].
The following are his final words in this article: “Whether it is China’s walk or China’s talk, these are all questions posed by the China whose rise is evident almost everywhere one looks these days.”
One major case mentioned for illustration is that anti-U.S. and anti-imperialist foreign policy and mass political education toward the end of 1940s until the Korean War were mainly for mass-mobilization for internal revolution, preventing the suspected partners in the Communist-led coalition or “united front” to become instruments of America’s “‘internal sabotage’ policy”, and consolidation of the Communist power in China. See Shi [13].
This author’s point of view expressed in an invited interview with Mr. Pilling.
Cf. Zakaria [25].
For a general discussion on today’s China in these and other prominent issues, see Shi [14].
“The Chinese government calls it—pick your phrase—a ‘harmonised world’ or a ‘new security concept’, but Shi Yinhong of the People’s University in Beijing expresses it more felicitously: ‘smile diplomacy’. Whatever it is called, the calculus behind it is simple, if not usually spelt out. Without encouraging peace and prosperity around China’s long borders there will be no peace and prosperity at home. And without peaceful development at home the Chinese Communist Party is toast. This calculus has become increasingly important over the past decade and may well apply for decades more yet.” Banyan [1].
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Shi, Y. China’s Contemporary Political Leadership, Foreign Policy, and Their Chineseness. East Asia 28, 247–257 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12140-011-9142-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12140-011-9142-3