Social Mechanism Of China’s Response To Diffusion Of International Norms

This research concentrates on the analysis of the micro-process of how a target state reacts to the diffusion of international norms.The author contends that, the dynamic mechanism of nations’ dealing with new norms is a kind of integrated social mechanism.This essay enumerates three key factors in the mechanism, namely, (1)the relationship between target state and diffuser state (s), (2)the target state’s judgment on the strategic intent of international norms and (3)the compatibility of international norms with norms in reference-group states. These three key factors correspond to the target state’s deliberation based on the perspectives of diffuser state(s), international norms, and target state, including the focus on key variables of rationalism and constructivism.This research proceeds under two assumptions, that these three factors are operating independently and have equivalent weight in the analysis. These three factors are connected by the social mechanism through social relationships, identification of identity, and judgement of intent in the target state, in order to clarify how one nation’s reaction, to the diffusion of international norms, causes changes in the diffusional results.The diffusions of three international norms are selected as the respect ive examples of China’s reaction:ozone protection, nuclear nonproliferati on and humanitarian intervention. The theory of diffusion of international norms proposed in this research is tested against the above mentioned three cases.