Institutionalization Of Security Cooperation: Perspective Of Communicative Action

Great powers take the main responsibility for international security and their competition for security interests is primarily carried out at regional level. When the asymmetrical power structure is not imbalanced enough for one power to completely control and dominate the other, how to initiate regional multilateral security regime to maintain regional stability is a pressing question to be answered. How to promote the formation of regional multilateral security regime and push forward the institutionalization of security cooperation are the research questions of this doctoral dissertation.Inspired by the theory of communicative action, this paper argues that states are agents possessing communicative competence. According to Prof. Katzenstein, states'security environment is not only material but also cultural and institutional; institutions and norms not only influence states'behavior but also shape their judgment of security interests. Based on the three above-mentioned assumptions and drawing on the sociological point that communicative action is an important mechanism of socialization, this paper proposed a hypothesis that communicative dialogue promotes institutionalization of regional security cooperation. This paper took the process of CSCE/OSCE as its case and confirmed its explanatory model by tracing and observing the development of arms control regime within the OSCE framework, especially the three generations of CSBMs (Confidence and Security Building Measures).Theoretically this paper contributed to the research on institutional security cooperation by modifying and complementing the present academic paradigms. Realism emphasizes and exaggerates the security threat of military capability, neglecting the aspect of intention in security affairs. However, this paper holds that communicative dialogue can promote the institutionalization of security cooperation and thus the institutions'function of expectation convergence can help reduce the worries about intention. Communicative action as a mechanism of socialization also complements the Neo-liberal institutional paradigm in giving a satisfactory explanation for the birth of social confidence among states. In addition to the function of conveying messages, the usage of language itself can promote common understanding and thus produce social confidence. As for structural constructivist paradigm, this paper modifies its linear mechanism of socialization by arguing that the key is institutionalization pushed by communicative dialogue on the basis of norms and collective identity rather than the norms and collective identity themselves, for they are not strong enough to maintain security. Thus this research diluted the idealistic tendency of constructivist security studies.Against the backdrop of globalization, how to maintain international security in East Asia and institutionalize our New Security Concept and put it into practice are big questions a peaceful rising China facing. Due to the limited research competence, the author can't provide satisfactory answers to them. However, the most practical value of this paper, I think, is to provide rationale for the China's present bilateral and multilateral security dialogues in East Asia.