A New Model Of Major Country Relationship:Theoretical Interpretation And Building Practice

China and the United States are the two largest economies with great global impact in the world and also the representatives of emerging countries and established powers.Discussions on this bilateral relationship and predictions on its development direction have become hot-spot issues: whether a rising power and an established power can avoid falling into the “Thucydides Trap”,and whether power transition between them will result in turbulence in the international system.International relations theories,including realism,liberalism and constructivism have all studied major country relationship.However,none of them is free from shortcomings and flaws.The Chinese leadership has put forward the initiative of building a new model of major country relationship.It means “no conflict or confrontation,mutual respect and win-win cooperation” to guide China to develop relations with other major countries of the world including the United States.This thesis attempts to make theoretic explanation on this new model of major country relationship and points out the risk of falling into the “Thucydides Trap”.It will use three cases in the China-U.S.interactions in the second term of the President Obama,including the South China Sea issue,the Sino-U.S.Strategic and Economic Dialogue and China-U.S.cooperation on climate change,to explain the possibilities and pathways of building this new relationship.This thesis will conclude that building the new model of major country relationship faces many challenges and difficulties,but there are solid practical conditions to prevent the two countries from falling into the “Thucydides Trap” and facilitating the building of the new major country relationship.To achieve “no conflict or confrontation”,to develop mutual respect and to conduct win-win cooperation” are not only possible but necessary for China and the United States.