How Chinese leaders approached the idea of sovereignty in the context of globalization

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of characteristics and evolution of China’s perception of sovereignty in the context of the current change in the balance between globalization and sovereignty in accordance with the pendulum model. The purpose of this study is to consider the differences between the Chinese and European ideas of sovereignty and to identify modern trends in the PRC’s approach to this concept. The theoretical part of the work briefly describes the history of the origin and development of the idea of sovereignty and notes the danger of directly transferring Western terms to Chinese reality. The authors analyze the transformation of Chinese approaches to sovereignty from a historical perspective. It is emphasized that the most active development of this concept begins after the formation of New China. The practical part of the article considers Chinese sources, namely the speeches of the leaders of the PRC – the reports of Hu Jintao in 2012 and Xi Jinping in 2017 and 2022. Based on the analysis of the common aspects and differences of these reports, the authors tried to identify the main trends and changes in the perception of sovereignty by the Chinese government over the past 15 years. The conclusion underlines the particular importance of further research on sovereignty in the context of current international tensions and emphasizes the need to understand the historical and modern Chinese approach to sovereignty for the successful implementation of Russian foreign policy.

Keywords

• china
• sovereignty
• globalization