Chinese school of international relations

The Chinese school of international relations is a theoretical framework which draws from Realism and Chinese historical concepts including tianxia, Confucian ethics, and moral international leadership.

Development
Beginning in the mid-1990s, Chinese scholars and international relations practitioners began to reflect on the state of international relations in China and the development of a possible distinct school of thought. In the early 21st century, global interest in non-Western developments in international relations theory increased.

The Chinese school is a theoretical framework which draws from Realism and Chinese historical concepts including tianxia, Confucian ethics, and moral international leadership. Elements of Realist thinking include the view that the international system is competitive, that there is no higher authority than the state to provide security from invasion, and that states must carefully observe changes to the international balance of power to remain aware of threats and opportunities.

The Chinese school incorporates concepts such as Zhao Tingyang's interpretation of tianxia as a model for universal governance which he believes can lead to a more inclusive and harmonious world order. The highlights China's role in a hierarchical system centered around a single, central state.

Gong sheng, or symbiotic theory, is a view which has developed from the Chinese school. Symbiotic theory holds that the world is inherently pluralistic and diverse, with multiple cultures, value systems, and civilizations. It accepts difference between states as a starting point but contends that in the right conditions, differences lead to mutual learning, appreciation, co-development, and co-evolution. Adherents of this aspect of the Chinese school maintain that symbiotic theory offers a means for states to supersede the Westphalian dynamics of conflict.

Another concept that has developed from the Chinese school is the view associated particularly with Yan Xuetong and others at Tsinghua University that moral concepts such as fairness, justice, civility, and wisdom become crucial values in establishing Great Power leadership. Yan's text Ancient Chinese Thought, Modern Chinese Power (2011) presents this line of thinking, which has come to be described as moral realism or 'Realism with Chinese characteristics.'