Global Governance: the Chinese Angle of View and Practice - 中欧社会论坛 - China Europa Forum

Global Governance: the Chinese Angle of View and Practice

Authors: Cai Tuo

Extract from ” Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, No. 1, 2004, pp. 94-106“

1. The Concept and Essence of Global Governance

The so-called global governance is based on the principle of common interests of mankind as a whole. It involves new regulations, mechanisms, methods and activities based on dialogues on equal basis, as well as negotiations and cooperation between transnational actors aimed at coping with global changes and challenges.

In understanding and grasping the essence of global governance, we should be aware of the following features and aspects: a. the transition from government to non government, b. the transition from state to society, c. the transition from territorial politics to non-territorial politics, d. the transition from managements based on enforcement and hierarchies to those based on equity, negotiation, voluntariness, and networks, and e. that the global governance is a special kind of political authority.

2. The Chinese Angle of View on the Global Governance

Given the differences at the level of development, international status and historical and cultural traditions, China and Western countries differ in the areas such as the academic focus and research perspectives as well as specific practice regarding global governance. These differences are precisely what need to be taken seriously.

Global governance theory originated in the West, reflecting views of developed countries on domestic and international affairs (including confusion, challenges, expectations and projections) in the era of globalisation. China’s understanding and experience of global governance is restricted by the following factors. First, it has not been a long time since China’s participation in the international community and China needs to familiarise with many relevant mechanisms and regulations. A process of study and adaptation is unavoidable. Meanwhile, although China is recognised as a rising China, its national strength is still limited. China cannot have a global influence yet. This situation determines the cautious and low-key attitude of China in international affairs. China prefers and is more accustomed to dealing with the public affairs in the existing mechanism of international organisations and multilateral framework. Second, China is a developing country, sharing a similar tendency with other developing countries. In general, developing countries have special political feelings towards sovereignty and link the political history of safeguarding state sovereignty and fighting for national independence with political achievements; on the other hand, these countries strongly feel the injustice existing in the current international orders and try to increase their overall national strengths and get rid of the control of Western countries. Therefore, they are bound to be wary of non-territorial politics and globalism which challenge political sovereignty. In addition, China’s civil society is still in the stage of formation and startup. Although China has been making great progress since the reforms and opening-up, there is still a large gap in the aspects of number, capability, overall quality, and social influence of its civil society compared with that of developed countries. This current situation makes it difficult for China’s civil society to participate in the activities of global civil society, limiting its vision and activities to a domestic level.

China needs to apply a specific global governance theory, namely the global governance at the domestic level, which is different from Western mainstream theories. It means: a. cross-border cooperation within the country, b. to focus on the governance of global issues, and c. to rely on the development of national civil society and the promotion of democracy at the grass-roots level.

The most appropriate object of global governance at the domestic level is global issues concerning human survival and development. Issues such as environment, resources, population, AIDS, drugs and poverty are based on shared ideology. Thus they are easy to achieve consensus. Some issues such as human rights and international terrorism are more complex and sensitive. Although they all belong to global issues and they result in the global governance on the aspect of safeguarding human rights and fighting against international terrorism, they are, due to their close connection with government actions, greatly influenced by different political opinions and ideologies. Therefore, they are not suitable as the object of global governance at the domestic level.

3. Practice and Enlightenment of China’s participation in Global Governance

China is practicing this kind of global governance at the domestic level and brings new experience and enlightenment to the world in four aspects summarised as follows: first of all, multi-agent and multi-sectoral cooperation is the basic form and an effective mechanism of global governance; second, governments still play a leading role in the global governance, but the ideas about the power of the government and management of government officials are changing; third, global awareness and global values are reflected in the global governance to some extent, but the reflection is not enough to meet the requirement of the global change; and finally, public spirit and the establishment of civic community are precious treasures brought by the global governance.

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