Master thesis analyzes strategic behavior of the PRC in the region of the Northeast Asia in direct relationship with regional missile defense. The aim is to analyze motives of China`s regional strategic behavior with respect to the specific technological element (= Theatre Missile Defense) on the basis of predetermined analytical levels: realistic, liberal and constructivist. But there are great differences in technological configuration of individual missile defense systems or in the configuration of the relationship of regional actors with the PRC. Thus the thesis will comprise of case studies analyzing the complex relationship of the PRC and regional actors (that are creating regional missile defense). The creation of regional missile defense can endanger China`s vital strategic interests (in the region of Northeast Asia) under specific conditions. But the regional strategic behaviour of the PRC is moderate. The aim is to explain, why the PRC does not change its regional strategic behavior in direct connection with emerging theater missile defence.

As Arctic warms twice as fast as the rest of the world and the polar ice-cap melts, the strategic importance and geopolitical significance of the Bering Strait as the only maritime gateway between the world's fastest-developing and dynamic regions, the Asia Pacific and the Arctic region, will steadily grow. The climate change triggered the reduction of the Arctic ice-cap, which results in increased maritime traffic activity as new shipping routes are becoming more viable and mineral resources more accessible. This has a tremendous impact on the region as it opens it to economic development but at the same time it puts strain on its fragile environment. The goal of the paper is to affirm that the geopolitical significance of the Bering Strait is increasing and will increase in the near future. The work examines the causes of the Bering Strait region's rise, its characteristics, challenges and opportunities together with the assessment of major regional actors' interests and approaches towards the region. Next, paper focuses The emphasis is put especially on the role of the United States and on their attitude toward the Bering Strait region. It therefore pays attention namely on the US policy and goals in the region, and on the implications the Strait's growing global importance has for the United...

Knowledge of a country's national geopolitics is the key to understanding the state in all its political forms. Therefore, this thesis is devoted to the Ukrainian geopolitics of the 20th - 21st century. In it we described the main concepts and opinions of Ukrainian geopoliticians. Our goal was to learn more about the theoretical foundations of Ukrainian geopolitics as it was in the 20th century and to see its further development in the 21st century. We tried to describe as fully as possible the views of Ukrainian geopoliticians and note the peculiarities of their thinking. We also analysed possible factors influencing the geopolitical vision of Ukrainians in the 20th and 21st centuries. This thesis is divided into three major parts and conclusions. The first chapter presents the main geopolitical concepts that emerged in the first half of the 20th century and their classification. In the second chapter, we focused more on those concepts that concerned the Black Sea region. In the third chapter, we presented the main and interesting concepts of Ukrainian geopolitics of the 21st century. Conclusions are an important analytical element of our work

The question of Russia's geopolitical affiliation has been a cause of centuries long debate, whether Russia belongs to Europe or to Asia. From the geographical point of view, Russia is predominantly situated in Asia. From cultural and civilisational points of view, Russian people tend to lean towards Europe, even though they capture elements of both civilizations. By examination of the most prominent Russian schools of thought, mainly of geopolitical nature (Slavophilism, Westernism, Atlantisms, Eurasianism, etc.) the work seeks to systemize the answers to this question. At the same time, it seeks to determine through analysis of the contemporary Russian foreign policy, which of these ideological leanings plays a dominant role in foreign policy discourse in Russia since 2000. Thanks to identification of this priority direction and by determining the primary orientation of Russian foreign policy in a particular region, the aim of this work is finally to answer the following question: What is Russia: Europe, Asia, or a separate continent of Eurasia?

The new fact that the environment is becoming the main factor of geopolitical transformations in the Arctic region has been triggered mainly by climate change. In the North, this recent aspect of geopolitics, in correlation with the environment, leads sometimes to tensions between countries, but also to a need for cooperation. The question brought by such conditions is, to which extent will this climate change provoke cooperation or conflicts between the Arctic states. The purpose of addressing the problem is to understand what kind of challenges would be facing the international relations between circumpolar countries and how the environment is playing a geopolitical role in them. The objective of the main research question is to assess the importance of climate change over the geopolitics of the Arctic through several spheres of geopolitics: environment and bio-diversity, economic activity of the region, sovereignty and territoriality, security of the circumpolar states, and international and diplomatic relations. The trans-border and transnational nature of environmental issues is another important factor, since nature does not respect human-made boundaries and an environmental concern, such as climate change and its aftermaths, cannot be exclusive to a state along the lines of its borders.

The main aim of this presented diploma thesis is to help build a systematic understanding of the political and social foundations of global financial markets, their operations and impacts on the global power affairs. The thesis highlights the dynamic complexity of the post financial crisis state of the World with its itra- and inter-social features. It instrumentaly uses critique of a free market agenda and neo-classical economy which contrasts the Efficient Markets Hypothesis with Hyman Minsky's Financial Instability Hypothesis (FIH), taking into account the dynamic complexity of financial markets. This approach offers analytical tools that can account for crisis through processes endogenous to contemporary financial capitalism. I shall argue that a financially complex system is, according to the FIH, inherently flawed and unstable. After a theoretical and historical review, the thesis discusses various aspects of the process of austerity regime and its social consequences. This provides an opportunity for analyses of the ongoing existence of interstate competition, of militarised foreign policy, and of other international, at times violent conflicts. In an effort to make sense of some of these phenomena, I instrumentaly use the study of geoeconomics that builds on some fundamental assumptions...

In the Indian Ocean Region, China's economic and strategic interests are converging as many of its investments lie along the vital ocean routes needed to literally and figuratively fuel its growing economy. The rollout of Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative, against the backdrop of, and in line with this convergence, has raised concerns about the military-strategic utility of various infrastructure projects. The increased economic connectivity that drives the Belt and Road has inherent strategic consequences, but the degree to which geostrategic factors drive investments divides analysts. Some believe that certain ports have been purposefully selected as future bases for China's navy. To address the difficulty of comprehending China's foreign policy decisions, this thesis draws on a neoclassical realist interpretation of international relations, and uses geographical location, collective memory, strategic culture, and domestic politics to develop a better understanding of Chinese policymakers' perceptions of their international security environment. This study develops methodology to evaluate the strategic value of a site in context to different basing strategies. The work sheds light on how China views its future position in the world by deciphering intentions behind Chines investments in ports...

Diploma thesis 'US-China Relationship in the Field of Naval Security - Cooperation or Conflict' focuses on the current phenomenon of Chinese naval rise and its implications for the relationship between China and today's leading naval power United States both in the Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean region. Using the comparative analysis, both the strategies as well as naval capacities of China and the US in both aforementioned regions are compared in order to assess the future character of their naval relationship. This thesis addresses also the evolution of Chinese navy and Chinese naval modernization on its own as well as its motives and those ideational and material factors which have a considerable impact on this modernization.

A current topic of international debate among western geopolitical scholars concerns whether recent demonstrations of Chinese naval power represent China's adoption of an outwardly aggressive maritime strategy which might require a reactive change of approach by western nations in dealing with Southeast Asian trading interests. This paper analyzes recent developments in Chinese maritime strategy in order to determine whether the strategy is actually offensive or defensive. Drawing on a realist interpretation of international relations, a geo- strategic evaluation of the Chinese state, and a detailed understanding of the principles of maritime strategy, this paper addresses the inherent difficulty in distinguishing between offensive and defensive maritime strategies given that maritime states naturally develop power-projection forces in order to protect their Sea Lanes of Communication and maritime commerce. In an effort to discern the strategic intent underlying China's modern naval activity, this paper establishes an independent vision of China's optimal defensive maritime strategy based on the state's current threat environment, and compares those results against recent investments in China's naval power. By examining the congruency of these two positions, this work offers a contextualized...

CHINA IN GLOBAL AND REGIONAL POLITICS IN THE 21ST CENTURY - GEOPOLITICAL CLASH WITH JAPAN, INDIA, USA, RUSSIA AND EUROPE Mgr. Martin Petrtýl Supervisor: Doc. Dr. Bořivoj Hnízdo, PhD. Institute of Political Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences This dissertation discusses the current and future role of China in the 21st century. I worked with the idea to prepare a systematically detailed analytical study of the country in relation to its surroundings as well as its internal environment for more than 8 years, including many interruptions. I, above all, contemplated about the way how to truly scientifically, i.e. credibly, it means in the maximum possible the limits of verifiability, develop a full work that could hold up to the colleagues from the scientific community and myself. It is logical it was and is my attempt to allow minimal possibility of any criticism of this work for its formal, content, or other deficiencies. First, I decided to analyse in some detail the currently known theoretical approaches and methods of study, not only in political sciences, especially those used by political geographers, but also in other related fields, especially in the field of study of international relations, sociology, political science or general security studies. I did not want to study the issue is the...