China-asean States Defense Diplomacy After The Cold War Specialization: International Relations

In recent years,with the rapid improvement of China’s comprehensive national strength and the complex changes of the international and regional situation,China’s diplomatic strategy is facing a profound and dramatic transformation,and the importance of peripheral diplomacy is significantly increased.Southeast Asia has the key channel and strategic waters connecting the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean,which is the gateway to and from the southeast coast of China,as well as an important transportation route.This special geographical position,close political,economic and security relations make ASEAN and its member states very important to China’s peripheral diplomatic strategy,which is the support of China’s geo economy,politics and security belt,as well as the priority direction of China’s Peripheral Diplomacy.In the overall diplomatic relations between China and ASEAN,defense diplomacy is an indispensable part.As an important form and means of security cooperation between China and ASEAN states,it is of great significance to enhance mutual trust and understanding,reduce doubts,deal with traditional and non-traditional security threats,and maintain regional peace and stability between China and ASEAN states.It is the security grab and important support for the construction of China-ASEAN Community of Common Destiny.China’s defense diplomacy with Southeast Asia began at the Cold War.After the end of the Cold War,great changes have taken place in the world political structure,regional political economy and security situation.With the implementation of the ASEAN integration strategy and the change of China’s foreign strategy and security concept,China’s defense diplomacy with Southeast Asia(ASEAN states)has made significant breakthroughs in its steady progress,gradually stepping into new platforms,tracks and fields,and it has effectively promoted the deepening of bilateral relations and the establishment of a new security order in the Asia-Pacific region.However,due to the complicated historical and practical reasons,compared with the highly prosperous economic cooperation,the cooperation between China and ASEAN states in the field of defense and security has been at a low level for a long time.The problems such as the low level of mechanism,the narrow field of interaction,the limited level of content and the weak practicality hinder the in-depth development of defense diplomacy between the two sides have negative impacts on the implementation of the "Maritime Silk Road" initiative,the construction of the Security Community of China’s Peripheral and the Community of Common Destiny of China’s Peripheral,and the strategic layout of the Diplomacy of the Great Power with Chinese Characteristics.Therefore,in this context,it is of great academic and practical significance to systematically and comprehensively study the theory and policy practice of defense foreign relations between China and ASEAN states after the Cold War.In this regard,based on historical research and deductive analysis of international relations,this thesis puts China-ASEAN states defense diplomacy into the overall background and development process of Asia-Pacific security cooperation after the Cold War,and makes a multi-level,multi-dimensional,multi-track and multi-field exploration,and summarizes the structural,normative and dynamic characteristics of the development of defense diplomacy of both sides.Based on the experience,this thesis summarizes the structural,normative and dynamic characteristics of the development of defense diplomacy of both sides,and clarifies the main difficulties and challenges they are facing at present,so as to provide policy enlightenment for the further development of China’s Peripheral Defense Diplomacy and the construction of China-ASEAN Community of Common Destiny.This paper is divided into six chapters: Introduction,Main body and Conclusion.Based on the characteristics of China’s diplomatic strategy and the changes of the security situation in the Asia-Pacific region,the introduction describes the research background and significance of this topic,and comprehensively combs the relevant research results of the academic circles at home and abroad,summarizes its shortcomings and limitations,so as to provide the academic basis and direction for the research of this paper.In the first chapter,through combing the different cognition and use of the concept of defense diplomacy by scholars at home and abroad,it makes an accurate and comprehensive definition of defense diplomacy,and provides a clear research perspective and conceptual framework for the following research.In addition,this chapter will review the development of defense diplomacy between China and Southeast Asian states during the Cold War from the perspective of macro background and historical reference.The second chapter will analyze the reasons for the evolution of defense diplomacy between China and ASEAN sates in the wake of the Cold War.In terms of basic factors,the end of bipolar confrontation cleared the way for the division and reorganization of strategic forces in the Asia-Pacific region and the comprehensive development of China Southeast Asia relations,thus paving the way for the transformation of China-Southeast Asia(ASEAN)defense diplomacy.In terms of dynamic factors,the interweaving of multi-level security issues after the end of the Cold War has resulted in the integration of security threats in the Asia-Pacific region,which urgently requires China and ASEAN states to improve their practical governance capabilities of regional security,while defense diplomacy meets the interests of China and ASEAN states.Chapter Three and Chapter Four are the main bodies of the analysis of ChinaASEAN states’ defense diplomacy practice after the Cold War.Among them,the multilateral security cooperation mechanism within the framework of ASEAN,centered and dominated by ASEAN states,is the most important platform for China and ASEAN states to carry out defense diplomacy.These mechanisms include the ARF,ADMMPlus,ASEAN-China,ASEAN Plus Three(APT).In addition,a large number of defense diplomacy and cooperation activities have been carried out between China and ASEAN states outside the framework of the ASEAN organization,mainly under the multilateral security cooperation mechanism initiated and led by major powers,such as the ShangriLa Dialogue and the Beijing Xiangshan Forum,as well as the continued and expanded bilateral defense ties between China and ASEAN states,including defense dialogue and exchange,defense education,arms transfer and national defense technical cooperation,ship visits and joint military exercises.On the basis of theoretical and practical analysis,Chapter Five and Chapter Six respectively review and prospect the current situation and prospect of defense diplomacy between China and ASEAN states,summing up the structural,normative and dynamic characteristics of the development of defense diplomacy between China and ASEAN states after the Cold War,and point out that they are facing three major problems: low content level,“soft security” orientation and over dependence on multilateral mechanism.On this basis,three policy suggestions are put forward.First,we need to steadily improve the level of defense diplomacy and further deepen the strategic mutual trust between China and ASEAN states.Second,we need to earnestly implement the concept of “comprehensive security” of the new Asian Security Concept and coordinate the maintenance of security threats in traditional and non-traditional areas.Third,we should continue to actively participate in defense cooperation under the regional multilateral security cooperation mechanism.At the same time,we should focus on strengthening bilateral relations with strategic potential and strategic value,build “strategic fulcrum states” for defense diplomacy that is conducive to promoting China’s national interests,and promote China-ASEAN defense diplomacy as well as the construction of China-ASEAN Community of Common Destiny to achieve substantive progress.