Technology And Rise Of Major Powers: The Perspective Of International Relations

After the Second World War, the power and efficacy of Nuclear Atoms attracted the eyesight of International Relations researchers on the relation between Technology and International Politics. The development of interdependence and information technology highlighted this tendency. As China is one of the rising Powers in the world, the study of relations between technology and rise of powers is of great realistic meaning.The rise of powers is a hot topic. The author defines the rise of powers as the increase of power and rise of the status in the international system, which is the premise of this dissertation. The influence of technology on the rise of powers is exerted through two mechanisms: the increase of power and the transformation of international system. By using the structural power of Susan Strange, the author presumes that technology leads to the increase of power by its interaction with productivity, security and knowledge. In the process of analysis, two cases are adopted to support the premise, which are the failure of Britain's providing security protection to the pre-World War Europe, and Japan's full support from its people on the aggression towards its neighbors. Technology changes the power and efficacy of force, and then it leads to the transformation of the international system. Technology also undergoes the process of socialization, which is defined as "soci-technological" process. One of its influences is that technology changes the meaning of security and war, and the understanding of the other countries and this is an important factor of the transformation of international system.The decline of China in modern history is of great relevance with its stasis of the development of science and technology. The history of China's technology from prosperity to stasis supports the importance of technology. Based on this analysis, the author holds that China should learn a lesson from the successful experience of the powers and learn how to develop into a sci-technological power and fulfill its dream of revival.