Military of China, force comment.
Military of China, force comment.

3 24, located in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, the former government office buildings, some of the opposition supporters climbed up an armored vehicle demonstrations. Xinhua News Agency issued

Zhao Jin

last two months, after the crisis in Kyrgyzstan, the requirements of the interim government should be guitar, began to actively intervene in the international community, United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Islamic Conference (OIC), Russia and the United States quickly dispatched special envoy, to carry out a large number of good offices and mediation work. China’s role in this crisis is very vague and cautious. In addition to providing humanitarian assistance to Kyrgyzstan said it would, in Jilin China Embassy and the Foreign Ministry consular protection center to ensure safety of Chinese citizens and arranging passenger evacuation and other aspects of some action, the date, China has always insisted, “observed a calm, cool response “approach, on the sideline.

the current situation on the ground is extremely complex and sensitive, not only forces the parties to the domestic stalemate guitar, and deep-rooted relations between big powers, as well as ethnic and religious conflicts and competition for resources such as a large number of latent instability, all make any States not involved in a big rush and get burned. This may be the reason why the Chinese Foreign indecisive.

perhaps still deeper roots can be traced to China’s long-standing principle of non-interference in internal affairs. China naturally is the Far East geo-political and economic power, surrounding a small country surrounded by more than 10. Neighboring countries has always been wary of China’s heart, fearing Chinese interference in their internal affairs. Although since its establishment, China has been holding high the banner of peaceful coexistence, the concerns of neighboring countries, but has not been eliminated. Therefore, the principle of non-interference in internal affairs has become China’s handling of foreign policy around a red line, so that China’s diplomacy lost its flexibility.

However, another point of view, the outbreak of tensions aside neighbors may cause harm to China’s national interests regardless of, but the fact is in trouble next door, always make thousands of miles away What the United States or other countries rushing from the Chinese face of distress and stood aside, I fear, is justified. Especially with the globalization of the social movement to accelerate the development of a country if the tension can not be controlled in time, will lead to the larger region and the world of hurt. Kyrgyzstan will not be the only case, it will not be the last case. Terrorism in Pakistan and Afghanistan, Thai Red Shirts riots, unrest in Myanmar, North Korea until the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and the many recent events, China can not always stay out and do nothing, which is China’s policy of “neighbors as good neighbors as partners “around the foreign policy and” good, peaceful and prosperous neighborhood “around the policy is inconsistent.

Needless to say, the principle of non-interference in internal affairs is a diplomatic, China must in principle must always be firm on the issue, even if China’s neighboring countries involved in humanitarian relief operations, must also abide by the internal affairs on the issue of non-interference principle, can not interfere in internal affairs, foreign policy go beyond the bottom line. Meanwhile, on the firmness of principle, does not mean that there is no flexibility in the specific strategy. Principles from the diplomatic point of view, flexibility is the life of diplomacy, diplomacy without flexibility, no flexibility, no diplomacy, only diplomatically with sufficient flexibility, diplomatic initiative before the master.

In fact, China is unlikely to do not understand the principle of steadfastness and policy flexibility of truth, the lack of flexibility in China’s diplomacy is that China’s problem is one of control lack confidence in the complex international situation, the possibility of conflicts deep-rooted tensions in areas ill-prepared to navigate on how to deal with once the uncertainties involved in the lack of courage. Such as the issue of unrest in Kyrgyzstan, the red blanket in front of the international community to put themselves in the center of contradictions not only contrary to the principle of non-interference in internal affairs, but also a diplomatic wise, any power will not do so. For China, like many countries and international organizations, as special envoys or mediation commissioner, to express China’s concern on the situation in the region overall is still possible. In fact, China can also be based on the identity of third-party positioning, the third party’s inquiry, mediation, good offices, in the big domestic issues to the Ministry of the parties concerned as the protagonist, China is only the parties to a peaceful solution to provide all the services , convenience and security, they can even make recommendations to promote the talks for the parties to refer to, these are the appropriate choice on foreign affairs, is consistent with the principles and guidelines of state law does not violate the principle of non-interference in internal affairs.

Clearly, in the future Chinese diplomatic practice, non-interference in internal affairs as a principle still firmly adhere to, more importantly, how to enhance the diplomatic imagination, initiative and flexibility to work hard . In practice, we should dare to participate, good cooperation, continue to accumulate foreign complex regional and international issues of experience, and constantly enhance the ability of China’s diplomacy. This is the era of globalization, the need to defend China’s national interests choice is China a responsible country in the world to do the inevitable choice. (The author is Associate Professor, Institute of International Studies, Tsinghua University.)

(“Global Times” June 23, 2010 14th Edition)

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