How Do We Go Global? The Evolution of Modern China’s Diplomatic Vision and Values

Topic: How Do We Go Global? The Evolution of Modern China’s Diplomatic Vision and Values

Speaker: Prof.Zhang Baijia, Former Deputy Director of the Party History Research Centre of the CPC Central Committee

Date: Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Time:15:30pm-17:30pm

Venue: Governing Board Meeting Room, Dao Yuan Building

Language: Chinese

Abstract:

Modern China's diplomacy has evolved along with the development of the Republic. Over the past 70 years, China's foreign policy formulation has shifted from a revolutionary and national perspective towards a developmental and global vision. China's diplomatic history reveals the the country's redefinition of itself and the world ever since its rebirth after previous years of revolution. The diplomatic changes and the country's reform and opening up can be said to have worked as reciprocal causation. 

Since the reform and opening up, the change of China's diplomatic philosophy has been reflected in five aspects: 

1) clarifying the primary diplomatic tasks and adjusting foreign strategies with an emphasis on economic growth.

2) reassessing the international situation and proposing peace and development as the themes of the era.

3) redefining an independent sovereign foreign policy that features peace and meeting the needs of reform and opening up.

4) seeking balance in a multi-polarized global society and establishing a well-rounded diplomatic structure.

5) upholding peaceful development and win-win cooperation and progressively fostering improvement in international order. 

Entering into the 21st century, China, as the world's emerging superpower, has been constantly in the spotlight. While the new era demands new ideas, China's future development entails learning from the past, for innovation must be grounded on what's sifted and refined by history.

Speaker Profile:

Professor Zhang Baijia is the Vice President of the Chinese Society on the Research of the Figures in the History of the Communist Party of China, a Professor of History at Peking University, a Professor of the Department of Party History at Renmin University of China, a member of the Institute of Modern History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and an academic member of the China International Foundation for Strategic Research. He has long been engaged in the research of the history of the Communist Party of China, the modern history of China, and the country's diplomatic history. In recent years, he has presided over the studies of the history of China’s reform and opening up.

Professor Zhang received his bachelor's degree in World History from Peking University in 1982, and his master's degree in Modern History from the Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in 1986. Professor Zhang was the Director of the Department of the History of the Sino-Foreign Relations of the Institute of Modern History, CASS, and the Deputy Director of the Party History Research Centre of the CPC Central Committee.