To Probe Into The Struggle Between "Dove" And "Hawk" Diplomatic Strategy From The Perspective Of "Neutrality" Thought Of Confucianism

As the essential part of Confucianism and one of the significant philosophy scopes in the culture of Confucianism, the thought of"neutrality", whose connotation mainly is embodied in"mediocre"and"conformity"as well as adopting manners as the standard for the thought of"neutrality". The kind of thought was applied to the two diplomatic strategies, i.e."dove"and"hawk"strategies in the foreign affairs in late Qing Dynasty. The application of"dove"strategy was represented by Li Hongzhang , whose essence was to maintain drawn game and didn't resort to war while the application of"hawk"strategy was represented by Zhang Zhidong, whose essence was to maintain the rights by force and preserve the sovereignty and respect of late Qing government to the greatest extent. The proposal and application of the two strategies were both influenced deeply by Confucianism. In the concrete implementation of the diplomatic"dove"and"hawk"strategies in late Qing Dynasty, Li Hongzhang and Zhang Zhidong, two major ministers engaged in diplomacy of late Qing Dynasty, had particularly excellent performance. Finally, considering the severe situation at home and abroad, the diplomatic strategies chose"dove"strategy as the principle strategy and"hawk"the minor one. However, the"dove"strategy failed to bring peaceful and stable diplomatic situation to late Qing government and equal rights while the'hawk'strategy failed to obtain the deserved rights to strengthen the late Qing government either. However, the application of"dove"and"hawk"strategy supplemented each other to make the late Qing government survive in the situation at that time and made diplomatic achievement to some extent. The proposal of the strategy was also the result after the late Qing government comprehensively thought in the specified diplomatic environment then and the reflection of semi-feudal and semi-colonial social nature in diplomatic affairs, which formed the diplomatic fact that patriotism and hindrance for the country coexisted. Generally speaking, the diplomacy of late Qing Dynasty failed to achieved victory eventually and went toward to negative development direction, From the formulation of late Qing"dove"and"hawk"diplomatic strategy, the"neutrality"thought of Confucianism was the subjective condition for its generation; however, from the concrete implementation of the diplomatic strategies, it was yet a deviation from the Confucianism and failed to attain the diplomatic condition required by the Confucianism, i.e. share the interests and develop harmoniously on basis of equality. It was caused by the nature of late Qing government and weak comprehensive national power. The diplomatic strategy of late Qing Dynasty failed to achieve an ideal situation of a harmonious world but it made the Qing Dynasty survive in the complicated environment. By research and analysis of Confucianism on the diplomacy of Qing Dynasty, we could figure out without difficulty that the diplomatic strategy of late Qing Dynasty took"dove"strategy as the principal one while"hawk"as the minor. Both integrated and supplemented each other and formed such a special situation eventually that the late Qing government became the vassal of the western powers and failed to be powerful in the real sense. Late Qing didn't reach the fundamental objective of diplomacy and went towards negative low ebb from then on.