Foreign policy of Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao

  • Both of them were chosen by Deng Xiaoping - very similar foreign policy

Strategic considerations of the area

  • The collapse of the Soviet military power, markedly improved China’s overall security situation

  • The sharp international reaction to the Tiananmen incident caught Chinese leaders by surprise

    • They expected industrialized nations to restore stable relations with their country after a few months

    • the West was surprised and disappointed that socialism and authoritarianism didn’t fail in China as it did in Europe – they expected it to in China too, but then the democratic riots were just shutdown – they wanted socialism to fail there too

    • consequences – sanctions on China, trade relations frozen or scaled back, arms embargo (developed countries do not sell weapons or any equipment that could make China stronger) (by 1994 they were lifted – except the arms embargo, still intact

  • They did not expect the rapid collapse of communism in Eastern Europe

    • Because of the Sino-Soviet split since the 1950s, China had pretty bad relations with also the soviet satellite states – information limited – so they were caught off guard it happened

  • China’s strategic importance diminished

    • Was not a major balancing for against the USSR anymore

  • Taiwan’s moves towards greater democracy and US support

    • Republic of China since 1949

    • for decades it was kinda a dictatorship – Chiang Kai-shek – but he died in 1976

    • Chiang Ching-kuo – his son – started democratizing

      • early 1990s – first free elections – bad for China - this meant Taiwan could get even closer to America and the West

      • pushed the possibility of reunification even further

      • shooting ballistic missiles into the water near Taiwan

      • America sent 2 planes

  • China found itself depending heavily on foreign trade and investment and assistance for economic development. Asian neighbors, the US and other major consumer markets were important to absorb its exports

  • Communist ideology was not popular enough anymore to support CPC’s monopoly of power, so leaders played up of patriotism and nationalism to support their rule

    • Criticism by the US and other countries of the communist system were portrayed not as attacks against CPC’s rule but as ‘imperialist’ assaults on China’s national integrity, equated with the century of humiliation

    • century of humiliation – against imperialistic West it was easy to build up nationalism

Goals of the era

  • Regime survival: to perpetuate their power and avoid the fate of the USSR and other communist regimes (domestic priorities)

  • China remained sensitive on matters of national sovereignty and security issues close to home, but adjusted to world pressure when resistence appeared to broader Chinese concerns

  • Territorial unification and integrity (Taiwan, ECS, SCS, India)

    • but no actual conflicts happening

    • the military wasn’t on the level of actually engaging in war

    • they will never let it go, but they can wait for a while

  • China’s economic, technological, and military modernization, the improvement of social conditions and stability

  • Regional preeminence

    • To be seen as the leading power in Asia and not as lower in prestige than its neighbors + to be able to project power

  • Global influence: China’s leaders desired status and prestige among the community of nation and to be a major player in the IMF, WB, the WTO etc.

Means of the era

  • Implementation of the 24 characters directive

  • Jiang Zeming was especially active in foreign affairs, led Chinese efforts to sustain an effective approach towards the US, adjusted the mix of incentives and sanctions toward Taiwan, and created a more coherent and active policy towards its periphery in Asia

  • Emphasized the maintenance of a peaceful international environment, especially in nearby Asia, which would facilitate the continued trade, investment, and assistance flows

  • China attempted to stay on good terms with their neighbors and to keep economic and other channels with the US open

    • But: endeavored over time to weaken overall US power in the long-term to create a more “multipolar” world

  • Military modernization adopted a more rapid pace

  • China maneuvered carefully and sometimes forcefully to defend key interests while accommodating American concerns in other areas (Taiwan crisis in 1996 and the trashing of US diplomatic properties in China after the US bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade in 1999)

Jiang Zemin (GS of CPC: 1989-2002)

  • Under the influence of Deng Xiaoping till 1997 and beyond

  • Multipolarism instead of hegemonism

  • Strengthend UN - Supported a stronger role for the UN in global governance

  • Omni-directional diplomacy - engage with all global regions

  • Promotion of worldwide peace and development - Reframed China as a responsible stakeholder

  • Good relationship with the neighboring countries

    • Normalized relations with Russia, India, Vietnam, South Korea, ASEAN nations

    • 1996: “Good-neighbor policy” launched

  • No more threat from the USSR - No longer needed to maintain a hardline posture

  • Ideology-free foreign policy to all directions

  • Friendly environment for economic development

  • Participation in international cooperations and regionalism (peacekeeping, non-proliferation, APEC: 1991, AESAN+3: 1997)

  • Emphasis on summit diplomacy - Jiang personally attended numerous summits (to present China as open, stable, and cooperative)

  • Events:

    • 1991: China joined the APEC

    • 1992: formal diplomatic relations with RoK

    • 1994: China attended the ASEAN Regional Forum

    • 1995-1996: Third Taiwan Crisis

    • 1996: Strategic Partnership with Russia

    • 1996: The Sanghai Five (SCO since 2005)

    • 1998: first year of EU-China summits

    • 1999: Bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade

    • 2001 April: Hainan Island Incident

    • 2001: 9/11 - Improving US-China relations

    • 2001: WTO accession

Hu Jintao (GS of CPC: 2002-2012)

  • Under the influence of the late Deng Xiaoping - “Hu’s diplomacy” has never been coined like Deng’s or Xi’s

  • Peaceful rise (2003) vs. peaceful development (2004)

  • Harmonious world

  • international law

  • International economic cooperation

  • Mutual respect

  • International peace and stability

  • Joint efforts to fight climate change

  • Territorial issues regarded as core interest instead of foreign policy

  • Events:

    • 2005: responsible takeholder ??

    • 2009: Copenhagen Climate Conference

    • 2008/2009/ Global financial crisis

    • 2009 and onwards: more assertive, SCS, Dalai Lama, extension of core interests (prelude to XJP)