Politics - China Flashcards
(21 cards)
Sovereignty
Legitimate or widely recognised ability to exercise effective control of a territory within recognised borders.
National interests
The national interests of a state are pursued to ensure the survival and potential growth of that state.
Power
Refers to the ability of one global actor to influence the actions of another global actor. Power can be exercised in a range of types.
Security
Security refers to the protection of a state’s borders from intruders and the maintenance of sovereignty, most commonly achieved through the use of military power.
Idealism
Refers to a school of thought in which policy is influenced primarily by an ideological principle, as opposed to practical and pragmatic considerations.
Pragmatism
A school of thought in which policy is influenced primarily by practical considerations, as opposed to a particular ideology.
Hard power
Refers to power exercised through incentive or coercion to influence the actions of other global actors.
Case - 9 Dash Line claim in the South China Sea
Soft power
Refers to the ability of one global actor to shape the actions of other global actors via attraction, with the absence of incentive or coercion.
Case - Confucius Institutes
Grey zone power
Grey-zone activities are coercive statecraft actions short of war.
Case - South China Sea, militarisation of disputed islands
Sharp power
Sharp power is the use of manipulative diplomatic policies.
Case - Confucius Institutes
Military power
Refers to the use of a state’s military to exert influence over the actions of other global actors.
Case - China/India border dispute
Economic power
Economic power refers to a state’s ability to influence the actions of another state through finance and trade.
Case - Regional Economic Cooperation Partnership – World’s largest free trade deal
Political power
Refers to the use of a state’s internal political machinery to exert influence over the actions of others.
Case - Persecution of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang province
Diplomatic power
The legal authority bestowed by a government onto an individual or group of individuals to represent the state in diplomatic negotiations.
Case - Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
Cultural power
Refers to a desirable and transportable culture that states can use to achieve ends that might not be achieved through military and political means.
Case - Confucius Institutes
Foreign Policy
Are the strategies and activities that the state uses when dealing with other state and non state actors. These external relationships are guided by national interest.
Diplomacy
Refers to the ability to conduct effective negotiations between states without arousing hostility.
China’s UN Security Council Position
Trade
Refers to the manipulation of the exchange of goods, services, labour and capital to influence the actions of another state.
Case - Regional Economic Cooperation Partnership – World’s largest free trade deal
Military
Military as a foreign policy instrument refers to the military capacity of a state and how this is utilised to achieve its foreign policy objectives.
Case - China/India border dispute
Aid
Refers to the provision of assistance, predominantly monetary, to global actors with the intention of influencing their decisions and actions in order to achieve a specific aim.
Case - Cambodia
Chinese Dream
The objective is for China to become a “modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, civilised, and harmonious.”
