Abstract

International relations theories, in both theWest and in China, have shown the tendency of reaching a final stage and becoming vulgar. The author argues that it is now time to trace back their sources and to reflect on their subjectivity. By answering three basic questions: “do states have boundaries?, ”“does the international have relations?, ”and“do international relations have theories?, ”the author reflects on the dimensions of IR theories, i.e., the theorization of international relations, and analyzes the congenitalweaknesses and ultimate inclination of international relations theories. The author also argues that international relations are human relations and social relations p resented at the international level.Like other social sciences, international relations theory is human knowledge, i.e., a kind of study about humans. The abstraction of the nation should not come at the cost of losing human subjectivity. Chinese diplomacy expounds upon the theorization of international relations in practice. Such p ractice will neither p romote the Sinification ofWestern international relations theories nor create a Chinese international relations theory or a so-called Chinese school. Rather, when theWestern myth is destroyed by the rise ofAsia through the co-rise of China and India, the history and cultural content of international relations theories finally will be restored.

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