Current International Order and China’s Role

By Tao Tao, CPAPD Deputy Secretary-general

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Current International Order and China’s Role

By Tao Tao, CPAPD Deputy Secretary-general

It is our great pleasure to meet and exchange views with you all.

For scholars like us, who care about and do research on international situation, the key is to grasp the essence through phenomena. At the current stage, the world economy is experiencing a slow recovery and the geopolitics undergoing profound changes, adjustments have been made continuously in the international order, and the theories and practices of China’s diplomacy is getting enriched and developed. Within the global scope, chaos is expanding and people’s cognition deepened, while the responses are rather weak. Such trend fully reflects the complexity of the international pattern’s development, the tortuosity of the world economy’s adjustment, the acuteness of international contradiction, the long-term of international order’s struggle and the uncertainty of future development. From a comprehensive and dialectical perspective, however, it is not so pessimistic in the world after all, some positive trends still exist. For example, there is no fundamental change about peace and development being the theme of the times. Nor there are big changes on trends of world’s multi-polarity, economic globalization, reform of international system and Asia-Pacific region’s pursuit of stability and development.

It is my personal opinion that at the current stage and in the predictable future, international situation will have the following phased characteristics:

I. The problem of international order is becoming more prominent.

Facing with the disordered phenomena across the globe, the responses of the current world’s order towards new problems and new challenges are rather weak and feeble. The international environment is becoming more complicated with integrated old issues and emerging issues. Global governance and the coordinated managing capacity no longer fit the new environment. For some major countries, wrong decisions, failed policies and inappropriate countermeasures are taken to deal with some issues, which in turn upgrade the level of complexity of solving the problem.

II. The geopolitical competition is becoming more intense.

The competition in Ukraine among the United States., the EU and Russia and the U.S. rebalancing strategy in the Asia-Pacific region, are both geopolitical competitions. These events exhibit the trend that current international relations are returning to traditional geopolitics. Such trend, only next to world’s economy, could be key elements influencing the world’s tendency and development.

III. Challenges posed by extreme terrorism on civilized world cannot be eradicated within a short time.

Terrorism is a common scourge of mankind, and its evil consequences cannot be eliminated within a short time. I made this judgment not because of the strength of terrorism itself, nor their updated ways of conducting terror, but the lack of a unified cognition, standard, method and a concerted effort in combating terrorism in the international community, especially among major powers.

IV. The influence of different schools of thought is deepening.

Dialogue and division among different civilizations are progressing at the same time. The optimistic feelings towards globalization are shrinking, while anti-globalization trend, nationalism and populism are resurging.

If we observe the elements, which will influence the tendency of international situation in the foreseeable future, there are “3+1” elements I contend that need to be focused on: First, the change of the development and powers’ balance of the world economy; second is the loss and gains of geopolitical competition; third is the struggle and game of the future international order. And the plus one is the technological revolution. The technological revolution is still at the critical point right now, but it will finally influence world economy, geopolitics and international order through its own conduction. Given the multiple effect of technological revolution and the shortened gap between products generations, the weight of tech-revolution on international situation will become larger.

The world is changing, and so are Europe and China. As we are living in the time of globalization, the integrated interests and inter-dependence of all countries and regions have reached to an unprecedented scope and depth. China is also conforming to the time trend, and making its due contribution to global governance by accomplishing its own affairs.

China is pushing ahead its governing system and the modernization of its governing capacity. Among these, strengthening the Party’s self-discipline is of particular importance, and also the deciding factor on whether China can successfully run its own affairs. The CPC is taking measures to reinforce the governing of the Party, including conduct severe supervision and punishment of corruption, make sure that the Party is closely connected with the people and people’s aspiration of a better life can be realized, thus fulfilling China’s lasting peace and order. It is absolutely unacceptable if China goes into chaos, the world will never be peaceful with a disordered China.

The most important task of further reform and opening-up is to sustain China’s economic medium-to-high growth, and to progress China’s society on a more fair and justified basis. China proposed five development concepts, namely innovation, balanced growth, green economy, opening-up and inclusive development for its domestic market, and the Belt and Road Initiative, for a better and common development of Eurasian Continent’s east and west end, for the international community. China’s development will not only serve its own people, but will also bring benefits to Asia and the world.

China will never follow the footsteps of big powers, which sought hegemony once they grew strong. China never seeks alliance nor hegemony, always sticks to policy of non-interference in each others’ internal affairs, never thinks about overthrowing others’ regime nor solving conflicts through armed forces. China is willing to be the actor to maintain, build, reform and perfect the international system and order. Now China is proactively participating in solving global and hot-spot issues, and taking due international responsibility according to its strength. China is aiming to build together with major countries, especially the United States, a new type of international relations that are featured with no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation, and build together with all countries a community of shared interests and destiny for the whole mankind.

All in all, China, being the permanent member of the UN Security Council and a constructive force in maintaining regional and global security and stability, is firmly safeguarding objectives and principles of the UN Charter, basic norms of international relations, the global strategic balance and stability, and international fairness and justice. China holds that national disputes and regional hot-spot issues can be politically solved by friendly consultations and peaceful negotiations, and continues to preserve world’s peaceful development and build a new type of international relations on the basis of win-win cooperation. A China of stability, a China of reform and opening-up and a China sticking to peaceful development will be a good thing and a blessing for the world, as well as Europe. China is willing to work with European friends, to achieve more prosperity on both sides in the 21st century.

Now, we are happy to exchange views on issues of common interest.