ABSTRACT
There are four basic schools of thought in the international discourse on China, namely, “China threat theory”, “China’s responsibility theory”, “China opportunity theory” and “China collapse theory”. Among these, the opportunity theory and the collapse theory have never been at the core. The prevailing beliefs have been initially the threat theory and then the responsibility theory. In recent years, with the continued momentum of China’s rise in terms of
national strength and status in the international system, the debates over China’s responsibility have become more heated both inside and outside of China. Internationally the China’s responsibility theory has come into the spotlight and promised to replace the then pervasive “China threat theory”. As the 2008 Beijing Olympics has won China worldwide acclaim and China’s influence expands amid the global financial crisis, terms like G-2 and Chimerica become the vogue in Western media, and it appears that the China’s responsibility theory will dominate the international discourse on China. From the Chinese perspective, international responsibility will be an increasingly important agenda of China’s future diplomacy. This chapter will first trace the evolution of the international discourse on China
from the “China threat theory” to “China’s responsibility”, and then conduct a costbenefit analysis in China’s status drive to be seen as a responsible great power. Finally, it offers a guiding framework for China’s diplomatic strategy in regard to its international responsibility in the future.
