Wu Xinbo, “Paradigm Shifts in the Study of Sino-U.S. Relations in the Post-Cold War Era and Its Implications: Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of Sino-U.S. Diplomatic Normalization,”
World Economics and Politics , No.1, 2019
【Abstract】 From the early 1990s till today, the study of Sino-U.S. relations in China has gone through the stages of rise, growth and expansion. The process also witnessed notable shift in the research paradigm in the following ways: from concentrating on bilateral context to paying attention to multilateral context, from interest-orientation to power balance-orientation, from stressing on cooperation to giving consideration to both cooperation and competition, from taking account of the impact of systematic level on unit-level or vice versa, from focusing mainly on foreign strategy and policy to exploring respective internal political, economic, social and cultural factors, from an empirical approach to one borrowing more and more from IR theory and methodology. As a matter of fact, the paradigm shifts as described above stands as a reflection of a series of changes in the following dimensions: power balance between China and the United States, foreign policy-making circumstances on both sides, primary motives behind their respective approaches to the relationship, patterns of interactions between the two countries, and the impact of Sino-U.S. relationship on international affairs. Furthermore, changes occurred in China, the U.S. as well as their bilateral ties also mirror some of the major adjustments in international politics in the post-Cold War era: shifting power balance among major powers, changing pattern of interactions between the East and the West, salience of global governance issues, as well as the accelerating pace of evolution in international system and international order.

【Keywords】 Sino-U.S. relations, research paradigm, international politics, post-Cold War Era

【Author】Wu Xinbo, Professor, Director of the Center for American Studies and Dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University

       Link to the Full Text：http://www.iis.fudan.edu.cn/88/bb/c6852a166075/page.htm