On Tseng Chi-tse Modern Diplomatic Thinking

Zeng Jize, also called Zeng Jiegang, as Zeng Guofan's oldest son, is a celebrated diplomatist in modern China, who was born in Xiangxiang Hunan. He handled many foreign incidents as an ambassor for eight years in oversea and made great contribution to sticking up for Chinese sovereignty and national interests. His diplomatic ideas had an important status in the diplomacy histo-ry of China. The acdemic has made more studies about his diplomatic activi-ties, but little about his diplomatic ideas, especially his modem diplomatic ideas. The thesis will investigate and discuss Zeng's modem diplomatic ideas from three parts.The first part expounds the reasons about forming of Zeng' s modem diplomatic ideas. The thesis will analyse the main reasons from these aspects as follows: the change of the structure of modern sino - foreign relationship, the influence of western thoughts and ideas, the influence of Zeng Guofan and GuoSongtao, Zeng Jize' s own quality, experience and aquired education, and so on.The second part expounds the main contents of Zeng's modern diplomatic ideas. According to Zeng's diplomatic opinions, suggestion and practice, the thesis expounds the contents of his modem diplomatic ideas, emphatically around the basic principles and strategies which were acknowleged as useful to deal with the relationship between countries. These principles and strategies include national sovereignty, equality, power, international law and balance ofpower. Zeng's modern diplomatic ideas are expressed in the follown aspects:(1) to stick up for national sovereignty and national interests; (2) to strengthen connections with foreign countries and establish strong backing for diplomacy; (3)to cite international public law and defeat powers; (4)to cautiously treat making use f some foreign countries to constrain others , suggest the diplomacy of balance of power.The third part expounds the limits and influence of Zeng' s modern diplo-matic ideas. Frist, the thesis expounds the historical limits, such as the tradi-tional fuedalism ideas like regale thoughts and the Celestial Empire ideas and miscarriage in diplomatic understanding. Secondly, the thesis expounds the active influences of Zeng' s modern diplomatic ideas, which are embodied in the next aspects: the influence of Zeng s diplomatic achievements, the influ-ence on the modernization of Chinese diplomacy and the strick on western pow-ers ' force diplomacy.