A Concise History of International Relations (1945-2002)

Author: Xiao Yue
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: After the Cold War, the world entered a transitional period where the old structure was broken, but the new one had not yet formed. The direction of the international structure is a subject of different views among countries. Most countries believe that the world is trending towards multipolarity, which advocates that the world should be composed of multiple powers, social systems, development models, and values to achieve balance and restraint, thereby maintaining world peace. However, the United States, as the only superpower after the Cold War, has intensified its global dominance strategy, attempting to establish a unipolar world led by the U.S., which has led to instability in great-power relations and instability in the world situation. The fundamental characteristics of contemporary international relations development are that international relations occur within a holistic, interconnected, and coexisting system, where countries exist in varying degrees of interdependence and competition. Under certain historical conditions, the evolution of the international structure reflects the fundamental characteristics of contemporary international relations. A structure refers to the inherent framework and operational state of things. The international structure is a core issue in international relations, formed by the comparison, interaction, and combination of major international forces within a certain period. The connotation of the international structure includes three aspects: it is a relatively stable structure formed by several power centers on the international stage; it is a certain degree of balance between several major countries or groups; and it forms a certain system, institutions, and order.