Discussion On The Evolution Of The Foreign Policy Of Reform And Opening Up Around The Chinese Government

We can see a clear process of China's 30 years development after Reform and Opening from the Government Work Reports. As an important part of Government Work Reports, The relations between China and its neighboring countries reflects the evolution of China's neighboring policy. China's neighboring policy has experienced three stages of evolution since 1978: 1978-1988 gradually improved neighboring security environment, tried to eliminate the threat of war; 1989-1996 improved relations with all neighboring countries, tried to created a good political neighboring environment; 1997-2007 positively took part in the regional affairs ,tried to become a responsible regional power.The objective environment and self-international location are two main factors of influencing the changes of neighboring policy. The change of objective environment will cause the change of self-international location, and the government will take different measures accordingly. As to the evolution of objective environment, the international environment has changed from the last period of bipolar confrontation to the beginning period of the post-Cold War to the reconstruction of the international situation; the regional environment has changed from existing of threat of war to gradually developing relations with China to positively developing relations with China; the domestic environment also has experienced from the Government's focus moving to construction to the preliminary achievements of Reform to major achievement of Reform. As to self- international location, China has located itself from a developing country to regional power to responsible regional power. The evolution of objective environment and self-international location together caused the evolution of the China's neighboring policy.