Prof. YAN Xuetong Spoke on the Change of International Order
in the Famous Professor Forum 132th Session and Yunshan Academic Salon 158th Session
From GDUFS News: http://news.gdufs.edu.cn/Item/89749.aspx. Edited by Guangdong Institute for International Strategies.
At the evening of Mar. 26, Prof. YAN Xuetong, Dean of the Institute of Modern International Relations of Tsinghua University, gave a speech themed with the Variation Tendency of International Order, at the B8 Academic Hall in GDUFS South Campus. This event was organized by the Department of Human Resources and Guangdong Institute for International Strategies. Attendees included: Prof. ZHOU Fangyin and Prof. CHEN Hanxi from GIIS; Prof. WANG Shuchun, Deputy Dean of School of Law, GDUFS and faculty and students of GDUFS.
Speech by Prof. YAN Xuetong
First, Prof. YAN illustrated three components of international order, namely dominant values, international norm and institutional arrangement. He also used three vivid examples to distinguish system and order. After analyzing the current international order, he said that the real challenger of the current international order is builders rather than opponents of the order. He also explained the strong impact of anti-institutionalism on liberalism, by analyzing the international form of double standard, conflicts between defending sovereignty and protecting human rights and hotspot issues like Brexit and Donald Trump's winning the presidential election.
In terms of China and the current international order, Prof. YAN analyzed the current situation based on moral realism. According to Prof. YAN, the reason China's reform and opening up outpaced development of western countries like America is, China's aggressive leadership has intensified the reform, which involves China in maintaining international order. In his opinion, challenges on international order mainly come from of Western countries themselves. Given the three components of international order, China is not capable to address these challenges alone by reform and maintenance.
In the Q&A session, students raised questions to Prof. YAN about international relations and international order, including Sino-US relations and role of moral realism in East Asia. Prof. YAN gave prospective answers and received applause from all attendees.
Prof. YAN is councilor of China Arms Control and Disarmament Association (CACDA),councilor of China National Association For International Studies, councilor of the Sino-American Friendship Association, councilor of China Foundation for International Studies and Academic Exchanges, councilor of Chinese Association of Asia-Pacific Studies, member of the Chinese Committee of Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP), part-time professor of the National Defense University of People's Liberation Army and senior researcher of the National Security Commission of the Communist Party of China. Prof. YAN also works for many journals, including World Economics and Politics, Chinese Journal of European Studies, Southeast Asian Studies, The Contemporary World and The Korean Journal of Defense Analysis. He is now doctoral supervisor and dean of the Institute of Modern International Relations of Tsinghua University. Prof. YAN also acts as editor-in-chief of Quarterly Journal of International Politics.as well as Chinese Journal of International Politics.Moreover, he is councilor of China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful Reunification, councilor of United Nations Association of China and member of academic committee of Journal of Chinese Political Science.
