Critical Decade, A: China's Foreign Policy (2008-2018). Zhiqun Zhu

      Preface

      This book is a preliminary study of Chinese foreign policy during the critical decade of 2008–2018. This decade witnessed China’s rapid rise from a regional power to a global power, beginning with the extravagant Summer Olympics in Beijing and ending with fierce economic and strategic rivalry between the United States and China. So many significant and impactful events happened in the world between 2008 and 2018 that this decade is going to be a focus of study by international relations scholars, historians, and others for years to come.

      It was during this decade that China’s role in global affairs became more prominent, generating both fear and admiration. This original study of China’s external affairs during the important decade attempts to highlight some major characteristics of Chinese foreign policy. It is not a typical research monograph with a principal argument or theoretical innovation; rather, it includes my scholarly and policy writings and observations about Chinese foreign policy, taking stock of changing domestic and international environments. A central question that runs throughout the book is what major challenges China faced during the decade and is likely to face in the years ahead. The book does not study Chinese foreign policy comprehensively, but offers a unique and hopefully interesting perspective from a serious student of international relations on some of the key issues and challenges related to Chinese foreign policy. I do not intend to break new ground or propose a novel theory, but the book may serve as a supplement to other rigorous scholarly research on Chinese foreign policy and could be a useful reference for readers who study Chinese politics and foreign policy during the critical decade of 2008–2018.

      As an English major at the prestigious Shanghai International Studies University (SISU) in the mid-1980s, I did not plan my future career to be a Professor of International Relations and Political Science. Most SISU graduates in the 1980s were directly recruited by Chinese central and provincial governments, working in fields that required proficiency in foreign languages, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of State Security, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Education, provincial or municipal offices of foreign affairs, state banks, major state-owned import and export companies, and national media organizations. As a top graduate, I was fortunate to be offered a teaching position at my alma mater when I finished my BA degree in 1988. (Nowadays it is virtually impossible to secure a teaching position at Chinese universities without a PhD or other terminal degrees.) While teaching English reading and grammar, I also served as SISU’s secretary for international cooperation from 1988 to 1991, responsible for the University’s international exchange programs with universities in English-speaking countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. This was the period during which I developed a strong interest in educational and cultural exchanges between China and other countries. Such “low politics” are often neglected when one looks at state-to-state relations in international politics, yet they are a crucial component