A Theoretical Clarification On The Transition Of PRC's Diplomatic Institutions

This dissertation is basically a Historical Institutionalism study of the institutional structure of the PRC's diplomacy through the interaction between rationality and legitimacy. Based on the study, my research purpose is to investigate the general rule of the PRC's diplomatic institutions. The paper systematically explores the theoretical logic and practical exercise of PRC's diplomatic institution changes from the perspective of value, system, mechanism and legitimacy respectively. Meanwhile, the paper tries to find out the extraordinary characteristics of the PRC's diplomatic institutions.The part of Introduction presents the problem and confines the core concepts of the paper such as diplomacy, diplomatic institutions, rationality and legitimacy etc. Then, the paper provides a comprehensive literature summary on the PRC's diplomatic institutions by the domestic and world academic circle and establishes an intermediate level research approach and methodology of historical institutionalism which helps lay a solid foundation for the following analysis.Chapter One of the dissertation provides a research model of institutional process for the research questions. The model, including the ecological structure, political coordination, unseen patterns and dynamic mechanisms, provides a wide analytical system for the following chapters. Based on a retrospect of the early stage of the CCP's diplomatic institutions, Chapter Two elaborates on the internal tension of both protecting sovereignty and serving the world communist campaign which existing in the PRC's diplomatic value structure since 1949. Chapter Three and Chapter Four crystallize the centralization-planned diplomatic system of the diplomacy under the Party leadership and the functional mechanism of 'foreign affairs are no little affairs', especially analyzing the process of the lock-in phenomenon in the transition of Chinese diplomatic institutions during the same period. Chapter Five summarizes the activities from 1949 to 1978 and presents a paradox of rationality in building of the PRC's diplomatic institutions: if China wanted to build the modern diplomatic institutions, it would definitely be contradictory to the institutional interest of Western countries in China. The paradox will further lead to the problem of legitimacy and severe political consequence and then results in the failure of diplomatic institutions during the Cultural Revolution. From Chapter Six to Nine, the paper studies the path...