At the end of December 1991, the bipolar world engendered by the Cold War finally came to an end, and the unipolar world centered on the United States took its place. Then US president George Bush, in a triumphalist mood, flamboyantly announced his ambition to build a new international order on the “ruins of demised socialism”.
He planned to use coercion, persuasion, and inducement to make the “liberal international order” designed and led by the US — and mainly serving its interests and those of the West — encompass the whole world, turning the US into a veritable and impregnable global hegemon.
However, to the dismay of the US, the unipolar world was short-lived; it wrought havoc worldwide through military coercion, and was highly unpopular. With the rise of China and some major developing countries, all of whom cherish their sovereignty and independence, the hegemony of the US has been dramatically altered.
The US has lost its ability to determine international affairs and shape the world as it pleases. The “liberal international order” it dominates is no longer sustainable in either the Western or the non-Western world and is increasingly losing its appeal.
Today, the world is descending into “international disorder”. Many thinking people want the US to revamp its “liberal international order” to make it more fair, reasonable, inclusive, sustainable and in tune with the interests of other countries.
Still, the US has obstinately resisted all demands for reform so as to safeguard its own interests and hegemony. It strenuously works to prolong its unipolar era, causing the “international disorder” crisis to worsen and seriously endangering world peace and development.
The international community is apprehensive about this. There is a robust, pressing global demand for new theories and solutions to supplant the “liberal international order” with a more just, inclusive and sustainable international order.
Against this political background, the Foreign Relations Law of the People’s Republic of China (Foreign Relations Law) passed by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on June 28, takes on epoch-making international and historical significance.
This law represents China’s wisdom and sincerity in presenting a plan to reconstruct the international order. It signifies China’s sincerity in fulfilling its responsibilities to the international community, attests to China’s (re)entry at the center of the world stage, and underlines the inexorable rise of China’s powerful discourse on international affairs.
The Foreign Relations Law is the crystallization of President Xi Jinping’s deep thinking on State governance and administration, especially on foreign relations. The implementation of this law also shows that the theories of the Communist Party of China (CPC) about how to construct a new international order have reached a high degree of maturity and sophistication, so that they can be presented to the world and that China’s foreign relations policies can be mandated by legislation. The Foreign Relations Law also marks China’s deep understanding of, intense dissatisfaction with, and intensive reflection on the unfair, unjust and hypocritical nature of the “liberal international order” crafted and dominated by the US since World War II.
The new international order proposed by China not only holds back from endorsing the “liberal international order” of the US but also embodies China’s traditional political wisdom, humanitarian concerns, the sense of international obligations of the CPC, and a theoretical summary of the diplomatic experience the People’s Republic of China has accumulated over the years.
The rising endorsement of the “China Plan” by most developing countries will further accelerate the demise of the already decrepit “liberal international order”, the hegemony of the US, and the birth of a “new international order” realizing the major principles embedded in the “China Plan”
President Xi Jinping’s thoughts on the new international order were elaborated in his report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC in October 2022, especially in the sections on China’s foreign relations.
He said, “Currently, changes in the world, times, and history are unfolding in unprecedented ways. On the one hand, the historical trends of peace, development, cooperation, and win-win are irresistible. … On the other hand, imperious, hegemonic, and coercive behavior, such as bullying, plundering, and zero-sum games, are extremely harmful.”
He added: “China is committed to maintaining the basic norms of international relations and international fairness and justice. China respects all countries’ sovereignty and territorial integrity and insists that all countries are equal regardless of size, strength, or wealth, respects the development path and social system independently chosen by the people of all countries, resolutely opposes all forms of hegemonism and power politics, opposes the Cold War mentality, opposes interference in the internal affairs of other countries, and opposes double standards.
“China adheres to the five principles of peaceful coexistence essential to developing friendly cooperation with other countries and promoting the establishment of a new type of international relations.
“China actively participates in the reform and construction of the global governance system, practices the global governance concept of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, adheres to true multilateralism, promotes the democratization of international relations, promotes the development of global governance in a more just and reasonable direction, resolutely safeguards the international system with the United Nations at the core, the international order based on international law, the basic principles of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, opposes all forms of unilateralism, opposes the formation of camps and exclusive cliques targeting specific countries.
“Building a community of a shared future for mankind is the future of the people of all countries in the world.”
Based on President Xi Jinping’s thoughts on State governance and foreign relations, the Foreign Relations Law establishes several essential principles for the construction of a new international order:
1) adhere to the mutual respect of sovereignty and territorial integrity by the international community and all countries in the world, reciprocal nonaggression, noninterference in each other’s internal affairs, equality, and mutual benefit, and the five principles of peaceful coexistence;
2) abide by the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, maintain world peace and security, promote global joint development, and establish new international relations;
3) maintain the international system with the UN at the core, maintain the international order based on international law, and maintain the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter;
4) resolve international disputes peacefully and oppose the use or threat of force in international relations;
5) oppose hegemony and power politics;
6) adhere to the equality of all countries regardless of size, strength and wealth, and respect the development path and social system independently chosen by the people of all countries.
From a political point of view, the enactment of the Foreign Relations Law, which contains the “China Plan” to reconstruct the international order, shows that China will, as stipulated by law, faithfully, strictly and earnestly strive for building a “new international order” by countries around the world.
International appreciation and support of the “China Plan” will promote the formation of a “new international order” and overcome various “unavoidable” bellicosities and obstructions from the US and the West. Observing the principles and spirit of the China-initiated “new international order”, China will never impose its views and positions unilaterally, arbitrarily and coercively on other countries but will use the “China Plan’s” manifest theoretical superiority and practical feasibility to convince and gain support from other countries.
The “new international order” charted by China is not to strive for and safeguard China’s parochial interests but to bring into being a “new international order” that is fair and reasonable, widely acceptable globally, beneficial to the development of all countries in the world, conducive to world peace, stability and justice, and making hegemony by any country impossible.
In this “new international order”, China is only one among many members, stakeholders and defenders, and will treat other countries as equals and partners. There is absolutely no intention for China to aspire to be a global hegemon. Instead, China will provide the necessary public goods within its means to facilitate the rise of the “new international order” and promote global well-being.
The tremendous political significance of the Foreign Relations Law is not only that China presents the international community with a “China Plan” for the construction of a “new international order” but also that it will jumpstart the international community’s thinking, research, discussion and debate on the formation of a “new international order”.
The purposes are to end as soon as possible the current state of “international disorder”, establish a “new international order” that is just, stable, safe and able to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results for all countries, and gradually inaugurate a community of shared future for mankind undergirded by the “new international order”.
The basic principles of the “new international order” proposed by China have been fully reflected and showcased in the Belt and Road Initiative and the numerous strategic cooperation agreements China has signed with various countries. All of these have been acclaimed by the Global South. Looking into the future, rationality, wisdom, selflessness, altruism and other prominent characteristics in line with the current world trend embodied in the “China Plan” are bound to be welcomed by countries which are intensely dissatisfied with the “liberal international order” dominated by the US.
The rising endorsement of the “China Plan” by most developing countries will further accelerate the demise of the already decrepit “liberal international order”, the hegemony of the US, and the birth of a “new international order” realizing the major principles embedded in the “China Plan”.
The author is a professor emeritus of sociology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and a consultant for the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.