Zhiqun Zhu - A Critical Decade: Chinas Foreign Policy (2008-2018)

Series on Contemporary China

(ISSN: 1793-0847)

Series Editors: Joseph Fewsmith (Boston University)

Zheng Yongnian (East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore)

This series will include books on state-of-the-art developments in computational and experimental methods in structures, and as such it will comprise several volumes covering the latest developments. Each volume will consist of single-authored work or several chapters written by the leading researchers in the field. The aim will be to provide the fundamental concepts of experimental and computational methods as well as their relevance to real world problems.

The scope of the series covers the entire spectrum of structures in engineering. As such it will cover both classical topics in mechanics, as well as emerging scientific and engineering disciplines, such as: smart structures, nanoscience and nanotechnology; NEMS and MEMS; micro- and nano-device modelling; functional and smart material systems.

Published

Vol. 46 A Critical Decade: Chinas Foreign Policy (20082018)
by Zhiqun Zhu

Vol. 45 Chinas Omnidirectional Peripheral Diplomacy
edited by Jianwei Wang & Tiang Boon Hoo

Vol. 44 Reform and Development in China: After 40 Years
edited by Wei Shan & Lijun Yang

Vol. 43 The South China Sea Disputes and the U.S.China Contest International Law and Geopolitics
by James C Hsiung

Vol. 42 The South China Sea Disputes: Historical, Geopolitical and Legal Studies
edited by Tsu-Sung Hsieh

Vol. 41 Moralization of China
by Xin Liu

Vol. 40 Social Construction in Contemporary China
edited by Xueyi Lu

Vol. 39 Chinas Economic Statecraft: Co-optation, Cooperation, and Coercion
edited by Mingjiang Li

Vol. 38 The Domestic Dynamics of Chinas Energy Diplomacy
by Chi Zhang

To view the complete list of the published volumes in the series, please visit:
http://www.worldscientific.com/series/scc

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Zhu, Zhiqun, author.

Title: A critical decade : Chinas foreign policy (20082018) / by Zhiqun Zhu (Bucknell University, USA).

Description: New Jersey : World Scientific, 2019. | Series: Series on contemporary China ; volume 46 | Includes bibliographical references.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019013761 | ISBN 9789811200779 (hc)

Subjects: LCSH: China--Foreign relations--1976

Classification: LCC DS779.27 .Z4893 2019 | DDC 327.51009/0512--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019013761

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Copyright 2020 by World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.

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This book is a preliminary study of Chinese foreign policy during the critical decade of 20082018. This decade witnessed Chinas rapid rise from a regional power to a global power, beginning with the extravagant Summer Olympics in Beijing and ending with fierce economic and strategic rivalry between the United States and China. So many significant and impactful events happened in the world between 2008 and 2018 that this decade is going to be a focus of study by international relations scholars, historians, and others for years to come.

It was during this decade that Chinas role in global affairs became more prominent, generating both fear and admiration. This original study of Chinas external affairs during the important decade attempts to highlight some major characteristics of Chinese foreign policy. It is not a typical research monograph with a principal argument or theoretical innovation; rather, it includes my scholarly and policy writings and observations about Chinese foreign policy, taking stock of changing domestic and international environments. A central question that runs throughout the book is what major challenges China faced during the decade and is likely to face in the years ahead. The book does not study Chinese foreign policy comprehensively, but offers a unique and hopefully interesting perspective from a serious student of international relations on some of the key issues and challenges related to Chinese foreign policy. I do not intend to break new ground or propose a novel theory, but the book may serve as a supplement to other rigorous scholarly research on Chinese foreign policy and could be a useful reference for readers who study Chinese politics and foreign policy during the critical decade of 20082018.

As an English major at the prestigious Shanghai International Studies University (SISU) in the mid-1980s, I did not plan my future career to be a Professor of International Relations and Political Science. Most SISU graduates in the 1980s were directly recruited by Chinese central and provincial governments, working in fields that required proficiency in foreign languages, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of State Security, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Education, provincial or municipal offices of foreign affairs, state banks, major state-owned import and export companies, and national media organizations. As a top graduate, I was fortunate to be offered a teaching position at my alma mater when I finished my BA degree in 1988. (Nowadays it is virtually impossible to secure a teaching position at Chinese universities without a PhD or other terminal degrees.) While teaching English reading and grammar, I also served as SISUs secretary for international cooperation from 1988 to 1991, responsible for the Universitys international exchange programs with universities in English-speaking countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. This was the period during which I developed a strong interest in educational and cultural exchanges between China and other countries. Such low politics are often neglected when one looks at state-to-state relations in international politics, yet they are a crucial component of any bilateral relationship. My experience with people-to-people exchanges frequently reminds me of the solid bonds at the societal level between China and Western societies, especially when bilateral relations at the governmental level tend to fluctuate as political atmospheres change.

From 1991 to 1994 I worked at the U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai as the senior assistant to the Public Affairs Officer (Consul for Press and Cultural Affairs). It was during those years that I became immensely interested in Chinese foreign policy and U.S.China relations. Highlights of my experience at the Consulate included welcoming various U.S. Congressional delegations that were in China to promote bilateral exchanges and hosting President Richard Nixon during his final, private visit to China in April 1993 before he passed away a year later. I vividly remember Nixons recount to the Consulate staff of his decision to visit China and sign the Shanghai Communiqu in 1972. The Consulates Public Affairs Section used to be part of the U.S. Information Agency (USIA), which was responsible for public diplomacy to promote American culture, values, and policies abroad through the American Centers or libraries. The USIA ceased to exist in 1999 and many of its functions and staff were merged into the U.S. Department of State.