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MVZ-207
Chinese Foreign Policy
since 1949
Mgr. Jan Polišenský
Spring 2011
Week 1 - Introduction
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Introduction to the Course
• Learn about the history and determinants of
Chinese foreign policy since 1949
• Attain a deeper understanding of China’s relations
with the world today
• The course aims to provide students with
knowledge of China’s involvement in world affairs
in historical and contemporary perspectives
• the course will analyze the domestic changes that
influenced China’s foreign policy
• The main focus of the course will be on the
development of Chinese foreign policy after the
founding of the People’s Republic of China
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Assessment
• Classroom participation and discussion – 10 %
• Presentation – 20 %
• Essay – 30 %
• Midterm – 10 %
• Final Exam - 30 %
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Assessment
• Essay - Students are expected to hand in a paper
(3 500 words) dealing with a selected issue
concerning the course topic
• Students are required to do a 10-15 minutes
presentation on selected topic. (Essay)
• Midterm and Final in-class written exams based
on the required readings and class discussion.
• Midterm : Multiple Choice
• Final : Multiple Choice and short answer
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Readings
• Students are expected to read the required
readings for each lesson/seminar
• Readings are in pdf format in Study Materials
• In the Study Materials are not included those
Articles that are available in the Academic
Databases
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Outline
Week 2 - Historical background prior 1949
Week 3 - Leaning to one side (1949 – 1958) –
Korean war, Taiwan Strait Crisis
Week 4 - Revolutionary Diplomacy (1959 – 1968) –
Vietnam War, Sino-Indian border clash
Week 5 - United Front against Soviet Hegemony
(1968 – 1979)
Week 6 - Independent Foreign Policy for Peace
(1979 – 1988)
Week 7 - To Fear No One and to Offend No One
(1989 – 1998)
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Outline
Week 8 - Commitment to Peaceful Development
(1999 – 2009)
Week 9 - Domestic Determinants and Foreign
Policy Making
Week 10 - Taiwan Strait Issues, problems and
prospects
Week 11 - The Rise of China and its Implications
Week 12 - People's Liberation Army
Week 13 - Discussion
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People's Republic of China
中华人民共和国中华人民共和国中华人民共和国中华人民共和国
• The People's Republic of China consists of :
– 22 provinces,
– 5 autonomous regions,
– 4 directly administered municipalities (Beijing,
Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing)
– 2 highly autonomous special administrative
regions (SARs) – Hong Kong and Macau.
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Basic info
• Population : 2010 estimate 1,338,612,968
• Ethnic groups 92% Han; 55 recognized
minorities
• GDP (PPP) Per capita $7,518 (93rd in the world)
• GDP Total $10.084 trillion (2nd in the world)
• Military - 2.3 million active troops, the People's
Liberation Army (PLA) is the largest military in
the world.
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Chinese = Han ???
Maonan ethnic minority Mongolian children from
Inner Mongolia
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Chinese = Han ???
Muslim Uighur
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Density of Population
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China - 中國中國中國中國
• Highly developed Culture
• The center of the world
• Middle Kingdom
• Barbarians
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Religion
• There are five recognized religions by the state :
– Buddhism
– Taoism
– Islam
– Catholicism
– Protestantism
– According to an Chinese government estimate,
there were over 100 million followers of
various faiths in China. (Questionable
statistics)
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Religion
• Communist governments often suppress religious
freedom
• Cultural revolution
• The Chinese government has opened up to
religion. The Government continues to emphasize
the role of religion in building a "Harmonious
Society" - White Paper--Freedom of Religious
Belief in China in 1997
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Confucianism
• The background of the Chinese is deeply shaped
by the Confucian philosophy (儒家; Rujia).
• Confucius' thought are based on the ethical,
moral and social values.
• Confucianism arose during the 5th century BCE
from the teachings of Confucius.
• Confucius collected works: Analects.
• The Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD) eventually
made Confucianism the official state culture,
along with Taoism which was the official religion.
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Confucianism
• Confucian social and political system remained
established until 1912
• The new Republic of China rejected Confucian
teachings
• People’s Republic of China also rejected
Confucianism
• Since 2000, revival of Confucianism in China
(rise of nationalism)
• Relationships – Benevolence
(disposition to do good, an act of kindness)
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Confucianism
The six relationships:
• Father/son
• Husband/wife
• Older brother/younger brother
• Prince/minister
• Emperor/people
• Friend/Friend
• Teacher/student
• The relationships are hierarchical with the
superior denoted by upper case and the
subordinate denoted by lower case. 22
Taoism - (道教道教道教道教; Daojiao)
• The word 道, means path or way
• Established around 6 BCE and refers to a
variety of related philosophical and religious
traditions
• Composition of the Tao Te Ching by Lao Zi (老子 )
• Taoist thought focuses on health, longevity,
immortality, wu wei (non-action) and spontaneity
• These traditions have influenced East Asia for
over two thousand years
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Taoism
• Based on the texts Dao De Jing (Laozi) and
Zhuangzi (Zhuang Tze)
• Emphasizes themes naturalness, vitality, peace,
non-action
• Virtues - The Three Jewels are compassion,
moderation, and humility
• Warring States Period – Sun Tzu, Mencius, Lao
Zi and others
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Buddhism – (佛教佛教佛教佛教, Fojiao)
• Introduced from India during the Han Dynasty,
in the 1st century (4 century)
• Massive repression of Buddhism in China : Great
Anti-Buddhist Persecution
• Buddhism was not universally welcomed,
particularly among the aristocrats.
• Confucianism promoted social stability, order,
strong families, and practical living
• Buddhism promoted monk's monasticism and
personal attainment of nirvana
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Art of War
• Sun Tzu (late six century BC)
• During Spring and Autumn period
• Chinese military text
• Composed of 13 chapters
• Each chapter is devoted to one aspect of warfare
• Definitive work on military strategies and tactics
• One of the oldest book on military strategy
• Influences on Eastern military thinking, business
• Sun Tzu thought that strategy requires appropriate
responses to changing conditions.
• Art of war is required reading by CIA, and US
military officers 26
Art of War – Sun Tzu
Statue of Sun Tzu
in Yurihama, Tottori, Japan
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World Order –
Heaven Worship
• Heaven worship- predates Taoism and
Confucianism, but was later incorporated into
both
• The Ancient Chinese believed in a non-corporeal
entity called Shangdi, an just, and supreme
being
• Later, Shangdi became synonymous with Tian, or
Heaven
• The worship of Heaven is ritualistic
• Heaven worship is closely linked with ancestorial
worship
• Ancestors are seen as a medium between Heaven
and man 28
Heaven
• Tian - heaven, heavens; god, gods
• is one of the oldest Chinese terms for the cosmos
• Key concept in Chinese mythology, philosophy,
and religion
• Tian's character 天 combines da 大 "great” and yi
一 "one”
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Under Heaven
• Under heaven – World, China
• Means the entire geographical world or the
metaphysical realm of mortals
• Associated with civilization and order
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Mandate of Heaven
• In classical Chinese political thought, the
Emperor of China receives the Mandate of
Heaven. (the ruler of the world)
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Mandate of Heaven
• The Emperor of China, is known as the Son of
Heaven
• derived from the Mandate of Heaven
• His legitimacy as ruler, from his supposed ability
to commune with Heaven on behalf of his nation
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Son of Heaven
The emperor was recognized as the ruler of “All
under Heaven” (world)
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Qin Dinasty (221- 206 BC)
• Begins the construction of Great Wall
• Terracotta Army
• Concept of centralized government
• Unification of legal code
• Development of written language,
• Measurement, currency
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Han Dynasty (202BC – 220AD)
• First Dynasty to embrace the Confucianism
• First opening of trading connection to the west =
Silk Road
• Establishment of Roman embassies
• Golden Age of Chinese Empire
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Ming Dynasty (AD 1368 -
1644)
• Last dynasty in China
ruled by ethnic Hans
• The Forbidden City,
the official imperial
household of the
Ming and Qing
dynasties from 1420
until 1924
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Qing Dynasty (AD1644 -
1911)
• Founded after defeat of the Ming
• Founded by Manchus, who are today an ethnic
minority of China
• Fall of Qing Dynasty – Week 2
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Historical Background
• Long-assumed superiority of China’s civilization,
values, institutions, and resources
• China was isolated before the Tang Dynasty (618
– 906 A.D)
• Expansive, tolerant, proud of its centrality
• Making universalistic claims for its civilization
• China’s decline after 10th Century – Weak and
divided and defensive under the Song Dynasty
• Mongol conquest of the whole China in 1276, the
first time that all China came under the foreign
rule (Yuan Dynasty)
• Climax of Chinese during the (Manchu) Qing
Dinasty (1644-1911)