A Brief Introduction To Contemporary Chinese Diplomatic Values

Diplomatic value is the belief framework which comprises the interests judgement,ethic goals and ways to realize them of a state actor,based on its cognition of the nature of relations with other states and the international community at large.Diplomatic values are a serious of basic concepts,fundamental principles and core pursuits which are reflected in states’ diplomatic practice,theories and doctrines.Different to the mainstream western values theory which views values as subjective judgments of the subject essentially,this thesis,with guidance of Marxist philosophy on values,hold the view that though diplomatic values are usually in forms of subjective views,they are in essence state’s cognition of relationship between its identity and international society and deeply rooted in certain material,institutional and cultural conditions,both domestically and internationally,against certain historical backdrop.They are not foreign policies or actions per se,but rather sources and guides to diplomacy.Diplomatic values have virtual influences on foreign affairs in the long run.Though not every diplomatic decision and action of a country is in conformity with its diplomatic values,its long-term foreign policy must be in accordance with its national interests and ways to realize them which lie in diplomatic values.Every countries have their own diplomatic values based on its unique history and national circumstances.The U.S.,as an outstanding representative of capitalist countries,was disciple of mercantilism and isolationism in most times after its founding.Only after the Second World War,with the establishment of the U.S.global hegemony and liberal capitalist international system,the diplomatic values of the United States turned to liberal internationalism.The Marxism-guided justice and progressive values of the former Soviet Union,the earliest socialist country,had greatly enhanced the progress of world politics.It has also,however,been criticized fiercely due to the excessive expansion of USSR.The diplomatic values of neutrality,peace and justice,as represented by Sweden,was an important example of pluralism in values against the backdrop of the fierce ideology competition during the Cold War.And it still has enormous and unique influence in post-Cold War era.The Islamic and revolutionary value of Islamic Republic of Iran,as a representative of theocratic states,has reflected the political power of the religious revolution and its values under the background of globalization.The diplomatic values of the United Nations,as the mainstream of all different diplomatic values,has integrated common and consensus believes of most of the countries around the world.The diversity of diplomatic values based on specific history and national conditions reflects the pluralism of values in world politics.And their debates,communications and references are important motives for world politics.At the beginning of the founding of People’s Republic of China,within the repercussions of revolution and the liberation movement,China’s diplomatic values focused on independence and autonomy,revolution and progress.As China’s main task shifted to economic and social development,its diplomatic values also turned to peace and development.Since the starting of reform and opening up,with the high-speed growth of China’s economy,the development of China’s social complexity and diversification,and the deepening of China’s integration into the world,China’s international status and influence has gradually increased,and its diplomatic problems are diversified and complicated.According with this diversification and complication tendency,China combines its national conditions and diplomatic experience,revitalizes the essence of traditional Chinese culture and integrates the advanced trends and thoughts in world’s politics,thus gradually forming a stable system of diplomatic values,which contains equality of sovereignty as premise,independence and autonomy as basis,development and cooperation as driven-power,justice and rationality as goal,peace and security as guarantee.These five elements are interrelated and mutually reinforcing.Equality and autonomy values are the foundation of China’s cognition of world order and relations among states.They are also the order basis of contemporary international society.If equality and autonomy are destroyed,the states will lose their identity.Same with the order of international society.Thus the international politics will fall into chaos.Development and justice values are the driving force and goal of the evolution of the international system,but also the core pursuit of China’s diplomacy.The pursuit for man and society progress is a basic demand which accompanies modernity.Therefore,development is the fundamental political momentum to promote social evolution.Justice is an internal measurement for development.Achieving justice between different people,groups and states is an important goal of development.To realize an all-round development of international society and to form human’s consensus about their coexistence,justice must be pursued and realized as the most important value of international society.Peace and security is the fundamental guarantee for safeguarding the international order and realizing the intrinsic value of the international community.Only peaceful coexistence among countries can promote the realization of other values.Compared with the Western capitalist society with freedom and democracy as the universal principle of diplomatic values,contemporary Chinese diplomatic values are guided by Marxism and rooted in Socialism with Chinese characteristics.China advocates compliance with the law of economic development and respect for different countries’ polity and culture.These give China’s diplomatic values advantages in thought and regime.What’s more,China’s diplomatic values integrate traditional Chinese culture reasonably,enriching the harmonious coexistence and great power responsibility thought,reflecting a long-lasting cultural connotations.At the same time,due to the deviation of practice and implementation and the limited impact of China’s international voice,China’s diplomatic values are misinterpreted and criticized from time to time internationally.In view of this situation,the author is of the view that China can improve and enhance the international community’s understanding of China’s diplomatic values through the development of notion and mechanism,actively involving and leading the process of global governance,as well as decent self-expression of story from China.