The demise of the 'new diplomacy'? : assertive China &amp; the Australian case
Creators: name: Jia, Wen
Publisher: name: The Australian National University
Year: 2010
Subjects: subject: DS740.5.A8 J53 2010
subject: China Foreign relations Australia
subject: Australia Foreign relations China
subject: China Foreign relations

description: 15 years since introducing a kinder, softer, more nuanced approach known as 'new diplomacy' for shorthand, a series of recent assertive acts on the part of China suggest a departure from this approach. This apparent shift is puzzling to scholars of Chinese foreign and security policy, who for some time now have been pointing to the tremendous benefits that China has accrued through its pursuit of its 'new' diplomatic approach, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. Two broad schools of thought have been identified in this investigation to account for this apparent puzzle. The first 'Strong China' school argues that the departure from the 'new' diplomatic approach is quite a natural and inevitable consequence of China's growing strength and its desire for greater international influence and eventually, hegemony. This school of thinking suggests that the 'new diplomacy' was a temporary adaptive measure adopted for purely instrumental purposes by the Chinese government. It is thus already becoming a thing of the past as China's power grows. An opposing 'Weak China' school suggests that China's assertive behaviour is a reflection not of China's growing strength, but of internal weaknesses that are yet to be overcome. The 'Weak China' school predicts that the departure from the 'new' diplomatic approach is likely to be a temporary phenomenon. As China's power and confidence grows, and as China gains greater exposure to international norms and institutions, a more consistent adherence to the 'new' diplomatic approach seems a more likely outcome. This thesis examines three cases from Australia's recent experience with China's apparent departure from its 'new' diplomatic approach -a novel research contribution in its own right given that none of these cases have been subjected to rigorous scholarly analysis -to argue that the answer to the puzzle outlined above actually lies somewhere between the 'Strong China' and the 'Weak China' schools. On the one hand, it argues that advocates of the 'Strong China' school are correct in asserting that China's apparent departure from its 'new' diplomatic approach has been a direct outcome of its growing power. On the other, they are also incorrect in identifying China's growing power being the underlying cause for that departure. Rather, it argues that China's growing power is actually exacerbating China's internal fragilities in line with what advocates of the 'Weak China' school suggest. However, where supporters of the 'Weak China' school argue that this departure is a temporary phenomenon, this thesis argues that they have underestimated the quite deep and enduring nature of those internal fragilities. As China's power grows, those fragilities will likely be emphasised, not reduced, hence leading to more rather than less assertive behaviour on the part of China. The thesis therefore sides with the 'Strong China' school in arguing that China's recent departure from its 'new' diplomatic approach is more likely to be a lasting one. However, it sides with the 'Weak China' school in emphasising that the departure is a reflection not of China's inherent strength and international ambition, but its growing weaknesses that are being exacerbated by China's continuing rise. Hence, in order to adequately account for China's recent departure from its 'new' diplomatic approach, the thesis concludes that a synthesis of the arguments associated with seemingly opposing 'Strong China' and 'Weak China' schools of thinking is called for.