China's economic, political and military influence has been increasing at a time when the United States, as sole superpower, dominates the international order. This article outlines Chinese elite perspectives on the current global order and shows not only how these perceptions have affected China's policies towards the United States, but also how they have influenced China's regional and global policies more broadly. It argues that variants of realist logic that interpret Chinese behaviour as a form of balancing are not particularly helpful, and do not capture the essence of Chinese strategies that are underpinned by an overwhelming focus on its domestic development needs. The article posits that Chinese leaders have accepted that they operate in a unipolar order and have chosen not to stick out for negotiating positions that the United States would see as seriously detrimental to its interests. However, Beijing couples this accommodating approach with policies designed to ensure that, were relations seriously to deteriorate with Washington, China could draw on deepened regional and global ties to thwart any US effort to interrupt its domestic objectives. China's hope is that a more ‘democratic’ international order will emerge, which means not multipolarity as such but a ‘concert of great powers system’ that will operate to forge multilateral cooperation among the major states.

Chinese strategies in a US‐hegemonic global order: accommodating and hedging

Hurricane Katrina struck the United States at the end of August 2005. The consequent devastation appeared to be beyond the US government's ability to cope with and aid was offered by several states in varying degrees of conflict with the US. Hurricane Katrina therefore became a potential case study for 'disaster diplomacy', which examines how disaster-related activities do and do not yield diplomatic gains. A review of past disaster diplomacy work is provided. The literature's case studies are then categorised using a new typology: propinquity, aid relationship, level and purpose. Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath are then placed in the context of the US government's foreign policy, the international response to the disaster and the US government's reaction to these responses. The evidence presented is used to discuss the potential implications of Hurricane Katrina disaster diplomacy, indicating that factors other than disaster-related activities generally dominate diplomatic relations and foreign policy.

Hurricane katrina disaster diplomacy

....................................................................................iii ÖZET.............................................................................................iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.............................................................................v TABLE OF CONTENTS.....................................................................vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION.............................................................1 1.1.The Organization of the Dissertation.....................................................4 1.2. The Research Question.....................................................................10 1.3. Departure Point of the Study: The Argument...........................................10 1.4. Methodology.............................................................................11 1.5. Place of the Study.....................................................................16 CHAPTER 2: THE METHODOLOGY AND THE SYNOPSIS.......................26 2.1. The Research Question.................................................................26 2.2. Departure Point of the Study: The Argument........................................27 2.3. What’s in the Research Question? – The Backgrounder.............................28 2.4. The Differences between Cooperation and Alliance................................34 2.4.1. Alliance................................................................................34 2.4.2. Cooperation........................................................................35 2.5. Terrorism and International Relations...............................................36 2.6. Why Study Forms of Cooperation and Alliance.....................................37 2.7. The Methodology........................................................................42 2.8. The Independent Variable of Globalization..........................................54 2.9. How does Globalization Condition ‘the New Threat’?..................................59 2.10. How does Globalization Condition Cooperation Problems within and among Nations?...........................................................................62 2.11. The Unit-Level Independent Variable: Contending Counterterrorism Cultures.............................................66 2.12. The Working Definition of Transnational Terrorism Threat....................69 2.13. Why is the New Threat Itself an Independent Variable?: Transnationality........................................72 2.14. Why does ‘the New Threat’ have the most explanatory power in comparison to other independent variables?............................................79

Changing Alliance and Cooperation Dynamics: Globalization, Nation-State and the Threat

The global issue of humanitarian intervention has become more pronounced and complicated in recent years due to increasingly diverging views on addressing security crises between the West on one side and Russia and China on the other. Despite their support for the principles of ‘Responsibility to Protect’ (R2P), both Russia and China are wary of Western intervention in internal conflicts after the Cold War and have become increasingly critical of Western-led armed intervention in humanitarian conflicts. Unease in Beijing and Moscow over the multilateral intervention in the 2011 Libyan conflict and their ongoing opposition to Western policies in the Syrian Civil War since 2011 would seem to point to ever more coincidence in their negative views of American and Western intervention policies. A conventional wisdom has thus emerged that there is something akin to a Sino–Russian ‘bloc’, with near-identical policies of discouraging armed intervention within state borders under the aegis of humanitarian intervention or the R2P doctrine, signed in 2005 (2005 World Summit). However, closer examination of Russian and Chinese positions on the Libyan and Syrian conflicts, drawing on normative and identity perspectives, reveals significant differences in how both states address intervention in civil conflicts involving human rights emergencies. Indeed, the Libyan and Syrian cases suggest that the distance between the two states on ‘acceptable’ policies toward international intervention in civil conflicts may actually be increasing. While Russia has assumed the role of the ‘loud dissenter’ in global dialogs on humanitarian intervention, China has opted for the position of a ‘cautious partner’.

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‘The Loud Dissenter and its Cautious Partner’ – Russia, China, global governance and humanitarian intervention

Sino-American relations represent a pivotal point in the current balance of global power. This article considers the 2001 spy plane crisis as a revealing episode and considers the framing of media coverage of the crisis in both countries. Of particular interest is the correspondence of news coverage to the divergent regime types and cultural orientations of each state. The findings of the content analysis reinforce the presence of such linkages and conclude that, as actors play a vital role in reflecting as well as informing public opinion, prominent news outlets in both countries serve as purveyors of mutual distrust rather than the easing of inherent tensions in the bilateral relationship.

Framing Sino-American Relations under Stress: A Reexamination of News Coverage of the 2001 Spy Plane Crisis

This article seeks to examine Chinese analysts' perceptions of America, particularly their views on US China policy. It intends to explore how that issue has evolved over time, what progress has been made, what factors have shaped it, what principal impediments have existed, and what the prospects are for future management. Focusing on the period from the mid-1990s to the present, the study finds that there remains a perceptual gap in US-China relations today, though Chinese understanding of America continues to improve. Specifically, there seems to be a lessened diversity of opinions and an emerging consensus on the hegemonic nature of US foreign policy, particularly its intention of containing a rising China--though its dual strategy of containment and engagement continues to exist. More importantly, many Chinese analysts remain highly critical and negative. Thus, American external behavior worldwide would always be viewed with a great deal of suspicion.

China Perceives America: Perspectives of international relations experts

This Watching Brief details a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in livestock in Indonesia. The outbreak, first reported in May 2022, is causing significant socioeconomic, animal health and biosecurity concerns in a country that has been FMD-free without vaccination since 1986. Delayed index case notification, difficulties with vaccination (e.g. accessibility issues, waning vaccine immunity and lack of cross-protection), limited understanding of persistent infection in carrier animals and lengthy restocking processes all present challenges for Indonesia in containing and recovering from this FMD outbreak. Thus, despite extensive research, the disease continues to present substantial challenges for outbreak prevention, surveillance and containment, which have important implications considering the widespread global prevalence of FMD and its impact on agriculture and trade in many countries. The socioeconomic burden of the current outbreak in Indonesia on individuals, households and communities is devastating, particularly in poor and rural areas. These impacts will likely continue after the outbreak is over, highlighting the need for co-ordinated support in strengthening outbreak detection and control in FMD-affected and other vulnerable areas.

Rosalie Chen

Papers

China Perceives America: Perspectives of international relations experts

Foot and Mouth Disease Outbreak in Indonesia: Summary and Implications