The signing of the "Peace of Westphalia" in 1648 was a milestone in the history of international relations,The purpose is to curb hegemonic ambitions based on the principle of sovereign equality of all member states,Established the principles of equality and sovereignty。Since the end of the Cold War,The United States has been promoting a revisionist world order of unequal sovereignty based on American hegemony,And rationalize it under the banner of "universal values"。A hegemonic world order aims to transcend international anarchy,nj bet365 includes thwarting the rise of potential adversaries and promoting a system of sovereign inequality,Therefore it is destined to be short-lived and unstable。With the end of the era of hegemony,The world begins to shift towards a multi-polar balance of power,Therefore it is necessary to rediscover the connotation of the principle of indivisible security。
The global civilization initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping helps restore and improve the Westphalian sovereignty system based on the balance of power among sovereign and equal states。The Global Civilization Initiative emphasizes respecting the diversity of nj bet365 civilizations,The core is nj bet365 multipolarity。
The establishment and development of nj bet365
World order refers to the international community’s efforts to maintain world peace based on common interest norms and behavioral norms、An organization and operation method for security and development,nj bet365 method of organization forms the basis of world political rules。The "Peace of Westphalia" created a new international system for European countries,It also laid the foundation for the modern world order,nj bet365 is inseparable from the five hundred years of Western dominance。The European order was previously organized under the hegemony of the Holy Roman Empire,However,With the decentralization of power,The Reformation destroyed “universal values”。The collapse of the hegemonic order led to the brutal Thirty Years' War (1618-1648),No conflicting party can achieve a decisive victory and re-establish hegemonic control,Meanwhile,The legitimate dominance of the Catholic Church as a universal religious institution has also collapsed。Although the war originally began as a religious dispute between Catholics and Protestants,But power、Political status begins to become more and more important,Even Catholic France decided to ally with Protestant Sweden,Thus balancing the excessive power of the Catholic Habsburg Empire。
The signing of the "Peace of Westphalia" symbolizes the end of the war,outlined a new order for the balance of power in Europe,Also laid the foundation for the modern world order。It established the sovereignty of each kingdom,Thus solving the problem of overlapping jurisdictions,nj bet365 is how the concept of sovereign states was born。In such a system composed of sovereign states,Countries、Each country group is evenly matched,Keep the peace by defending yourself。Without hegemony,The state becomes the supreme sovereignty,Europe at nj bet365 time must deal with the ensuing international anarchy。In nj bet365 state of international relations,There is no centralized authority or governing body to regulate the interaction between nation-states。In other words,Every country has sovereignty and independent status,No superior authority to enforce rules and resolve disputes。nj bet365 security dilemma leads to conflict,Because as long as one country takes more measures to increase its own security, it may undermine the security of other countries。
Therefore,A key principle of the Peace of Westphalia is the principle of indivisible security,Ensuring the security of opponents is the key to achieving lasting peace and stability in Europe。nj bet365 principle is different from the traditional international security concept,That is, the winner of the conflict can punish and conquer the loser。Opposite,nj bet365 order aims to replace conquest and domination with restraint and cooperation。The Concert of Europe conference system created in 1815 also widely adopted nj bet365 principle。
However,The "Peace of Westphalia" established a European order,The sovereign equality it achieves is limited to Europe。Nevertheless,The gradual dispersion of power and the weakening of Western collective hegemony led to the gradual disintegration of colonial empires,nj bet365 means that it is necessary for the concept of sovereign equality to cover all countries。The Westphalian system laid the foundation for international law later formulated under the Charter of the United Nations,At the same time, the concept of colonial trusteeship was gradually eliminated。However,Bloc politics and subsequent security dependencies resulting from the Cold War have reinvented the concept of limited sovereignty。At the end of the Cold War,An opportunity arises to reform and establish the Westphalian system among sovereign equals,And based on indivisible security principles。However,The disintegration of the Soviet Union led to the excessive concentration of power in the West led by the United States。They oppose the international balance of power,Switch to support hegemonic stability theory。
The nj bet365 and Fall of “Pax America”
At nj bet365 time,For the first time in history, the possibility of global hegemony led by the United States has emerged,The attempt to establish a new world order on nj bet365 basis is the liberal democracy that claims that nj bet365 hegemony represents "universal values"。The so-called theory behind nj bet365 is,Hegemony and liberal democratic values can achieve a more lasting peace than the balance of power。During the Cold War,The peaceful coexistence of Western countries will expand to a global scale in the post-Cold War era。One month after the collapse of the Soviet Union,President Bush proudly declared in his State of the Union address in January 1992: "We are the United States of America,We have changed from a Western leader to a global leader。”
The concept of Pax-Americana originated from Pax-Romana,The period of peace and stability that existed under the hegemony of the Roman Empire from the 1st to 2nd centuries AD。nj bet365 200-year period of relative peace,Prosperous economy and culture。But nj bet365 period is also known for suppressing dissent,At the same time,Roman cultural values were imposed on conquered peoples。Hegemonic peace can only be maintained by containing the rise of competitors。February 1992, less than two months after the collapse of the Soviet Union,Leak of US Defense Planning Guide (DPG) reveals Wolfowitz’s theory on global dominance,The document mentioned that “the primary goal is to prevent the re-emergence of new competitors”,nj bet365 includes the rise of allies such as Germany and Japan。
Under hegemonic rule,The principle of sovereign equality has been abandoned,Because the hegemonic country claims that it has the right to represent and defend other nations。Therefore,International law established by the United Nations has been weakened,Replaced by what the US government calls a “rules-based international order”,That is, a hegemonic system based on unequal sovereignty。To some extent,nj bet365 is exactly the same as the Catholic Church’s previous claim in Europe that it has “universal sovereignty” over all peoples。
Within the framework of balance of power,International law plays a role in promoting mutual restraint among countries,The existence of hegemony will lead to the emergence of new game rules to eliminate constraints on hegemony。In the era of unipolarity and the rule of Western collective hegemony,The world has been artificially redivided into liberal democracies with full sovereignty and authoritarian states with limited sovereignty。No matter nj bet365 kind of democratic propaganda、What are the implications behind humanitarian intervention and the global war on terror,They all have something in common: the supreme sovereignty of Western liberal democracies and the limited sovereignty of other countries。Liberal democracy has thus become a new indicator of whether a civilized country can achieve full sovereignty,And the West has once again been able to practice its new "civilizational mission",That is, re-creating the "Garden Jungle Theory" to demonstrate its superiority。
1999,NATO’s invasion of Yugoslavia violated international law and the United Nations Charter。However,Some people argue that nj bet365 war is illegal but reasonable。nj bet365 superb whitewashing method undoubtedly separates legitimacy and rationality,Regard liberal democracy and human rights as valid legal basis。Obviously,Only the United States and its allies have nj bet365 privilege,Regarding liberal values as the rational basis for illegality。Liberal values have therefore become exceptions for the United States and its allies in international law。Since then,Some people are eager to institutionalize special clauses to legitimize liberal hegemony。They began to discuss the establishment of the Alliance of Democracies Foundation, AOD) to replace the legitimate authority of the United Nations。After,nj bet365 proposal was reformed to establish a "Concert of Democracies",The Alliance “in situations where the Security Council uses its veto power to prevent free nations from adhering to the objectives of the United Nations Charter,The use of force may be authorized”。Proposed by U.S. Republican presidential candidate John McCain,If he is elected president,A "League of Democracies" will be established,Thus allowing Western democracies to feel less constrained under the leadership of the United States。
The decoupling of legality and rationality ultimately leads to the emergence of a “rules-based international order”,nj bet365 international order is based on sovereign inequality,Want to replace international law based on sovereign equality。The "rules-based international order" claims that it adds democratic values and humanitarian law to the basis of international law,But it is actually a tool to legitimize hegemony。When conflicting principles such as "territorial integrity" and "self-determination" appear simultaneously,The “rules” upheld by nj bet365 international order are always power interests。On the issue of Kosovo,The United States tends to support "self-determination";As for the Crimea issue,The United States insists on the principle of "territorial integrity"。
After the end of the Cold War,Two dominant schools of thought about the New World have emerged in the United States: Francis Fukuyama’s “End of History” and Samuel Huntington’s “Clash of Civilizations”。Fukuyama’s prediction,The world will be unified under the leadership of the United States and the values of liberal democracy。nj bet365 vision of Pax Americana is doomed to fail。1963,The then US President John F. Kennedy said: "What kind of peace am I referring to?"?What kind of peace are we seeking?Pax Americana is not imposed on the world by American war weapons,Not the peace of the tomb or the safety of a slave。”The failure of Pax Americana was foreseeable,Its failure convinced the US government that it was necessary to defeat its competitors,Therefore,People turn their attention to Huntington’s “Clash of Civilizations”。
Building a better nj bet365
"The rise of other countries" has brought about a multi-polar balance of power based on sovereign equality。To ensure that the new balance of power is benign,China seems to be reviving the principle of indivisible security among nations,And believes that unless other countries in the international system enjoy security,Otherwise no country is truly safe。China supports multi-polar power distribution and diversity of civilizations,Demonstrates its determination to work hard to restore a nj bet365 based on the Westphalian system。In addition,China is not building a European order,But a peaceful and just nj bet365。
To a certain extent,China borrowed from the three pillar system nj bet365 United States in the early 19th century,The United States developed a manufacturing base at that time、Transportation Infrastructure and National Bank,To counter British economic hegemony and the ensuing intrusive political power。Same,China develops leading technology ecosystem,Promoted the decentralization of international economic infrastructure,Launched the admirable “One Belt, One Road” initiative in 2013,And develop new financial instruments。
Naturally,A "dependency balance" appears,It reproduces the logic of geopolitical power balance。All economically interdependent partnerships are characterized by asymmetry,Usually one party is more dependent on the other than the other。In an asymmetric interdependent partnership,The stronger and less dependent party in a bilateral relationship can turn economic dependence into political power。The party that is more dependent on the other party will usually try to restore the balance of the dependency relationship,Includes through enhanced strategic autonomy and diversity of economic partnerships。Therefore,The international system is moving towards a natural equilibrium state,In nj bet365 equilibrium state,No country can exert undue political influence on other countries。
China has not shown hegemonic intentions,There is no attempt to hinder diversity and multipolarity。A typical example is,Russia’s efforts to strengthen economic cooperation in Eurasia have not been opposed by China,nj bet365 strengthens Russia’s confidence in China’s leadership of the region’s economy。nj bet365 is completely different from the American hegemony model,In comparison,The United States is trying to make Russia and Germany、China、India、Türkiye、Decoupling from Iran and other economic partners。
China avoids letting other countries choose between "us" and "them",Unwilling to join a formal military alliance that develops zero-sum doctrine in international security。The two major platforms of BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organization are also seeking common security for the world and its member states,Rather than security relative to non-member states。nj bet365 is clear,For example, these two organizations extend membership to rival countries such as India。The Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative are also creating new platforms for global economic and security cooperation。
The nj bet365 is of great significance
China’s recently launched Global Civilization Initiative further supports multipolar power distribution。Chinese President Xi Jinping’s call for diversity of civilizations is of great significance,nj bet365 move supports sovereign equality,Oppose the concept of "universalism" that rationalizes interference in internal affairs。President Xi Jinping made a counter-hegemonic statement when advocating for the uniqueness of civilization: “A flower blooming alone is not spring,The garden is full of flowers and spring。”“We must respect the diversity of world civilizations,Transcending civilizational barriers through civilizational exchanges、Mutual learning among civilizations transcends conflict of civilizations、Civilization coexistence surpasses civilization superiority。”
President Xi Jinping’s vision of building a benign sovereign peace is also reflected in his opposition to zero-sum game,He emphasized that security is indivisible in nature: "Humanity is a community that thrives once and for all."、A community with a shared future where both suffer losses。Any country pursues modernization,Everyone should uphold unity and cooperation、The concept of common development,Taking the path of co-construction, sharing and win-win。"Eighteenth-century German philosopher Johann Gottfried von Herder advocated,Without disparaging other countries or claiming cultural superiority,Maintaining national uniqueness can increase nj bet365 diversity and strength。Place it in the current era,It can be understood that maintaining the uniqueness of civilization requires avoiding concepts such as "clash of civilizations" and "superiority of civilizations"。
Just like biodiversity,Diversity of civilizations can make the nj bet365 more capable of coping with shocks and crises。In ancient Greece, the cradle of Western civilization,There is a recognition that “universalism” and uniformity undermine the vitality and resilience that defined Greek thought。The healthy cooperation and competition among various Greek city-states is the source of diverse ideas and vitality,It is these ideas and energy that brought about the progress of Greek civilization。Integrating into another country’s political system means losing philosophy、Diversity of wisdom and leadership,Brust Testing and Opportunities for Progress。
World order requires more than just a multipolar distribution of economic power,We also need to respect the diversity of civilizations,To ensure that the principle of indivisible security is maintained。For nj bet365,The international order should resist those theories of civilizational superiority disguised as friendly "universal values" and development models。From nj bet365 perspective,The United States’ attempt to divide the world into democracy and autocracy can be seen as a means of hegemony and unequal sovereignty,Rather than harmonious coexistence and common progress of mankind。Therefore,President Xi Jinping pointed out,China “does not impose its own values and models on others”。The new "world order" is expected to be the first world order that applies to the whole world,Because it includes non-Western countries as sovereign equals,nj bet365 is the basis for achieving equality within the framework of international law。
(The author is a professor nj bet365 University of South-Eastern Norway)
nj bet365 links:
Website registration number: Beijing Public Network nj bet365 No. 11010502030146 Ministry of Industry and Information Technology:
All rights reserved by nj bet365 Social Sciences Magazine. No reproduction or use without permission is allowed
Chief editor’s email: zzszbj@126.com Contact information of nj bet365 website: 010-85886809 Address: Floor 11-12, Building 1, No. 15 Guanghua Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing Postal Code: 100026
>