Explaining the Chinese Pattern of Redefining International Order: Combination of Internal Capabilities and External Soft Balance

Abstract

One of the distinguishing features of the current international situation is the growth of China as a great power. The growing power of China for protecting of security interests is directly tied to the US international position; As a result, China's strategic engagement with the US is one of the issues that is essential to understand the future state of international order. This article examines China's pattern of behavior toward the US under the unipolar order system. Hence, the question that the authors have tried to answer with a descriptive-analytical approach is that what pattern governs China's foreign policy to advance its interests, and strategic interactions with the US in the current international order? Findings show that due to the necessity of entangling polarity, economic factor and threat perception, China has adopted a dual pattern of behavior, like the domestic capabilities and external soft balance, in order to advance its strategic interests and interactions with the US. The first concept refers to the continuation of economic efforts along with increasing military capabilities to increase China's relative power. In the second concept, China's internationally balanced behavior toward the United States is considered. This is mostly done through multilateral institutions and economic diplomacy.

Keywords

• us
• china
• domestic capabilities
• soft balance