China's rise promotes peace: Opinion

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, April 09, 2004

China's rise promotes peace: Opinion

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China's confidence and determination for peaceful development is already well-known. But to have an accurate understanding of its resolve for such a situation, a careful look at the terms "peace" and "development" is needed.

Peace has long been one of the fundamental concepts in international relations and world politics.

In a negative sense, peace only serves as an interval between war. From the perspective of international law, it is a positive attribute in inter-state relations.

Peace has been an ingrained belief since ancient times and a target pursued by most. Peaceful co-existence has also been backed to allow international relations despite the existence of some conflict.

It has already become a rational understanding that war cannot be used as a tool of foreign policies, especially since the introduction of nuclear weapons.

Avoiding war has been a dominant thought in the history of international relations, although people have different understandings about peace.

As for development, in a strict sense, it could also be referred to as the "rise" or "emergence" of a nation.

Different from peace, "rise" does not serve as a fundamental concept in international relations or world politics.

But the history of international relations is always based around the rise and fall of countries.

Some international relations theorists, especially realists, say "change of hegemony" or "shift of power" to indicate the rise and fall of nations.

In their eyes, it is possible that "rise" means the "emergence" of a new hegemony - the shift of power from the old hegemonic state to a new one, as well as the imminent war between the two.

Similarly, in their opinion, "rise" does not coincide with peace, but with war.

It is an ardent expectation for some American realists to see the world's order with US-administered peace. This is in essence a neo-imperialistic theory. It is their prediction that the 21st century will still belong to the United States.

But it has become a consensus that the era during which the world's peace was built on the administration of a certain major power is over. The real state of peace is difficult to realize under that kind of governance.

Given the history of international relations, the peaceful rise of nations seems to be integral to world peace.

Different from involving force, a peaceful rise includes ensuing a state of peace following advancement.

China has encountered some problems during its peaceful rise so far and there are a large number of uncertainties for the future - it is still not known if China can realize its long-held dream of peaceful development.

China will not be able to achieve its dream in a short period of time. In addition, any path to full development will have setbacks.

Development is curtailed or drops off if a nation is threatened.

The possibility of such a situation cannot be ruled out when a country is working for an ambitious development programme. That can be seen in the history of China and others.

A bitter lesson can be learned from the "states in crisis," "failed states" and "states in disorder" phenomena seen in present-day Asia and Africa.

The fact that China has long been in a position of initial emergence has haunted its people. One of the important reasons for this is that some Chinese have not taken a correct attitude toward development.

The rising of China should not be seen as competing with others for hegemony, shifting the world's centre of power and whitewashing the indignity China has suffered in modern times.

The rise of China should be peaceful

China should enjoy a stable domestic environment for its peaceful rise. Its ambition should rely on domestic peace built around a market economy, democratic politics and the rule of law.

With a peaceful purpose and means, China will lay down a morally just foundation for its rise. Its development and modernization drive is not only for a lasting peace and stability for itself, but also plays an important part in the overall peace and security of the world.

China should base its domestic politics and foreign policies in the 21st century upon the concept of peace and then apply the concept to allow for its peaceful rise.

A country that tries to resolve its internal and external problems through peaceful means, and pursues peace and security not only for itself but for the rest of the world is surely acceptable to the international community.

A peace-oriented China will inevitably evolve into an important force in maintaining world peace and prosperity.

By Pang Zhongying, professor with the Tianjin-based Nankai University. The article was carried on China Daily, April 9

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