China's 'Peaceful Rise' in the 21st Century: Domestic and International Conditions by Sujian Guo

Author:Sujian Guo [Guo, Sujian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Peace, Political Science, General
ISBN: 9781351952033
Google: pkioDQAAQBAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2016-12-05T07:04:48+00:00

Part 2

International Conditions of China's Peaceful Rise

Chapter 6

The International Conditions of China's Peaceful Rise: Challenges and Opportunities

Li Qingsi*

Introduction

Along with China's rapid economic development, China's rise has received a worldwide attention in the early 21st century. Though a country's development is primarily due to domestic rather than foreign factors, favorable or unfavorable international conditions could affect the process significantly, particularly in an era of economic interdependence and globalization. As the sole superpower, the United States will have a prevailing influence over China's development environment, through various international forces organized by and around it. However, the competition between China and the United States is mainly in low politics. Confrontation and war between big powers can only result in mutual destruction. This is particularly true for China and the U.S. if they are fighting against each other. If China has to break up the chains of the constraints set up by the U.S., China would have to develop ingenious diplomatic solutions and try to create favorable conditions for its peaceful development.

Based on idealism and interdependency theories, this chapter will examine the external conditions within which China's rise will take place. There is no perfect theory for interpreting the complex conditions of the modern world. Although idealism has undergone changes from time to time, covering a fairly broad perspective ranging from Wilsonian idealism through to contemporary neoliberal theories, the core of idealism that emphasizes the common goals and mutual interests of nations remains the same, which is particularly true in the highly interdependent world in the post-Cold war era when nations have to engage in win-win games instead of absolute gains and losses. Idealism informs us that cooperation and peace are possible when nations concentrate on mutual interests and common goals and open up the options of solving problems and conflicts at lower costs for all actors involved. China-U.S. relations would be a prominent example of interdependence of nations in the age of economic globalization and integration. Both have recognized the value of working together to achieve mutual interests and goals in many areas of regional and world affairs, ranging from the nuclear crisis on the Korean peninsula, to fighting global terrorism, and to the world public health, as we all recognize that we cannot succeed in fighting the political, economic, and social roots of these problems with military power and force. China-U.S. cooperation in regional and world affairs based on common goals and mutual interests would continue to contribute to the international solutions of many problems, conflicts, and crises that lack national solutions. In terms of China's "peaceful development" foreign policy, the Chinese leaders have recognized that it is in the fundamental interest of China to concentrate on the common interests, find common solutions to problems and frictions, and promote international stability and prosperity, in order to maintain a peaceful international environment for China's economic modernization.1 In this chapter, using idealism and interdependence theories, the author will sort out the favorable and unfavorable factors i.e. the opportunities and challenges that will affect the process of China's rise, and explore the influence of other international actors.

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