Mainland China¡¦s Foreign Policy in the Korean Peninsula:
A Dialectical Analysis
Abstract
The purpose of this dissertation is to analyze Mainland China¡¦s foreign policy in the Korean Peninsula at the micro- and macro- levels. In the process of writing this dissertation, the author found that, for the Marxists, Dialectical Materialism is their worldview, epistemology as well as way of thinking. Meanwhile, Beijing claims that its epistemology and methodology are based on dialectics. However, we must understand that China is not merely a socialist country; it is also a country with long history and traditional culture. Hence, we speculate that Mainland China, a country under Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, should carry a specific way of perceiving reality and thinking. Thus, it is natural that the Chinese Communist way of thinking differs from not only that of non-Communist countries but also that of other socialist countries.
According to what is written above, this research takes the following three assumptions as preconditions to understand Beijing¡¦s foreign policy in general as well as its foreign policy in the Korean Peninsula in particular.
First, we assume that Mainland China¡¦s way of perceiving reality and thinking is dialectically formed in terms of Marxism, Chinese traditional thoughts, Mao Zedong Thought, and the core of Deng Xiaoping¡¦s theory.
Second, we assume that Chinese Communist leaders, relying on dialectics, form their worldview of understanding the objective environment and their methodology of reacting to it. The practical application and realization of such a worldview and methodology become Beijing¡¦s theoretical as well as behavioral patterns.
Third, we assume that such theoretical and behavioral patterns are directly reflected on Communist China¡¦s diplomatic lines and principles, and are practically reflected in its foreign affairs policy, strategy, and tactics.
Such assumptions require an in depth examination. In the process of examining the assumptions, this research adopts the inductive method, because induction helps to prove an assumption true or false by way of observing facts. The practical method of examining the facts begins with examining both the important papers of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the People¡¦s Republic of China (PRC) Government as well as the important speeches made by of leaders at the central level. From such papers and speeches, this research is to (1) seek the characteristics of Chinese Communist dialectics and the structures and properties of the thought and the behavior of Chinese Communists when dialectics are being applied; (2) study the methods by which Chinese Communist decision-makers perceive regional and international objective environment in order to ascertain what roles they are going to play and decide what diplomatic objectives and strategy to take; and (3) analyze the structural and dynamic development appearing in the process of policy making, that is, to analyze the jobs and functions of the institutes joining the institution of foreign policy as well as its practical functioning developments. Finally, this research is to prove the dialectical relationship between Beijing¡¦s foreign policy and the realization of the policy from the development and change in the PRC¡¦s foreign policy.
The conclusion obtained from inductively examining such assumptions could be taken as forming an analytical framework. Its function is to provide an intellectual framework to primarily guiding the direction of research. Therefore, by deducing such a theoretical framework, we will explain the issues, including various clashes and conflicts, which have appeared during the time when Mainland China was having its triangular relationship with both Koreas as well as try to understand how Mainland China resolved such clashes and conflicts and reached agreements with the two Koreas. After that, we are in a better position to evaluate the existing relationship between Mainland China and the Korean Peninsula and to have a better feel about the prospect of their future relations.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:NSYSU/oai:NSYSU:etd-0219101-165153 |
| Date | 19 February 2001 |
| Creators | Lee, Kwonho, |
| Contributors | none, none, none, none, none |
| Publisher | NSYSU |
| Source Sets | NSYSU Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Archive |
| Language | Cholon |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.lib.nsysu.edu.tw/ETD-db/ETD-search/view_etd?URN=etd-0219101-165153 |
| Rights | withheld, Copyright information available at source archive |
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