China's Relations With Africa Ethical Analysis (1955-1978)

Diplomatic ethics is not only an important manifestation of a country's diplomatic concept, but also an important basis for a country's diplomatic practice.China has formed rich and unique diplomatic ethics in its thousands of years'civilization. Chinese traditional diplomatic ethics, taking Confucianism as its main line, has influenced the value formation and behaviour of China's foreign relations and also, had an impact on the establishment and implementation of China's foreign policy.Derived from pre-Qin period, Chinese traditional diplomatic ethics boast rich connotation,which include not only anti-hegemonism concept and the concept of creating united front, but also interationalism, say, emphasizing more on Yi than Li. Up to now, traditional diplomatic ethics,having been an indispensable part of Chinese traditional culture,have played an active part in the formation and development of China's contemporary foreign diplomacy.The thesis,based on the general study of the international background, political basis and developing process of Sino-African relations in the period from China's foundation to the late 1970s, focuses on the impact of Chinese traditional diplomatic ethics on Sino-African relations. The thesis mantains that Sino-African relations has close ties with traditional dilpomatic ethics in the following three areas: First, with the nature of distinctively opposing hegemonism, China had, in an aim of safeguarding world peace, supported the national liberation movement of African countries, fighted against any acts of imperialism, hegemonism and aggression since its foundation. Second, the friendship between China and African countries was established on the basis of morality and justice. China persisted in the principle of seeking common ground while reserving differences, which can be taken as a true friend of African countries. Third, China provided internationalism-featured aid to African countries since its foundation, during which, China remained upholding equal relations and keeping its own words.The thesis reckons that besides the active impacts of Chinese traditional diplomatic ethics on sino-African relations(1955-1978), there are also some nagative ones. For example, China's selfless support of African anti-hegemonism movement, while advancing Sino-African relations and China's international prestige, had narrowed its own diplomatic flexibility for China's drawed lines according to ideology in the process. What's more, China's internationalism-featured aid to African countries, although was generally welcomed by African countries, was not conductive to China's domestic economic development due to inconformity to its economic reality.In conclusion, the ethsis proposes that the study of Chinese traditional diplomatic ethics on Sino-African relations can, on the one side,bring inspiration to China's contemporary foreign relations, on the other side, offer reference for the construction of international relations ethics.