SPRING 2018

Dialogue between Amitav Acharya and Niall Ferguson: "International order where to go?"

Host: Wang Dong

Summary:

On January 10, 2018, renowned international relations scholar, Prof. Amitav Acharya, and
famous historian Prof. Niall Ferguson, visited the School of International Studies of Peking
University, and discussed with teachers and students here on the subject of "International order
where to go?" The dialogue was jointly organized by the Institute For China-US People-to-People
Exchange and the American Studies Center of Peking University, which is the first lecture of the
high-end series of Sino-American cultural exchanges in 2018. The dialogue was moderated by
Associate Professor Wang Dong, executive deputy Director of the Institute For China-US People-to-
People Exchange. Prof. Zhang Xiaoming, Prof. Ding Dou, Associate Professor Liu Haifang, Associate
Prof. Guo Jie, Associate Professor Chen Shaofeng and Associate Professor Jie Dalei of School of
International Studies of Peking University, and more than 40 doctoral or master students from
School of International Studies, Yenching Academy and various departments of Peking University
participated in the dialogue.

Professor Acharya first probed the concept of the international order. He pointed out that
since the Westphalian system, there have been many concepts of order in the global history. The
British Empire in the 19th century and the Liberal Order in the 20th century were close to the
concept of international order. Recently, the “end of the American world order” has been
exaggerated in academic circles. Freedom is not a global order. The decline of the liberal order in
the West has been a long time. Trump is not the initiator. The crisis of liberal order comes from not
only external challenges alone but within. The pillars of the liberal order, such as the UN system and
the WTO system, are not as good as they once were. The role of regional organizations and the
private sector has significantly increased, there has been fragmentation of liberal order, non-state
actors have also become an important part of the current international system. The Trump
phenomenon is the result of the decline of the liberal order. President Trump cuts dues for UN and
quits important international organizations are making the U.S. an international order disrupter.

Professor Acharya believes that liberal order will not completely disappear, some functions
will continue, but its universality will be weakened. Therefore, other mechanisms and emerging
countries are needed to supplement, so a phenomenon of multi-actor and multi-orders may emerge
in the future. China, India, and other rising countries have benefited from the liberal order so would
not voluntarily destroy the existing order, but would instead seek to embed some new components
that are consistent with their own interests, such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and
the BRICS Development Bank. Prof. Acharya proposed the concept of "Multiplex World" in his latest
book The End of the American World Order, arguing that hegemony and emerging powers, global
and regional entities, and transnational non-state actors will all participate in. The future world
order will be more diverse and decentralized, surpassing the Western centralist narrative.

a warm and friendly atmosphere.
whether there is a "free order" from the perspective of history and economic history. He pointed
out that liberal order is a concept constructed by political scientists and the media. It began with

the creation of the United Nations and other international organizations in 1945, but the true freedom
order had never existed. During the Cold War, all countries must take sides in the competition
between the two empire and the two ideologies. Asia, Africa and Latin America are in the
intervention of the two major empire. Professor Ferguson once mentioned in his writings that
events such as the Korean War, the Cuban crisis, and the Vietnam War may all lead to a world war.

It was fortunate that the Third World War did not break out. From the point of view of economics,
the world economic system is under the control of capitalism. Freedom order is a kind of false
appearance. After 1945 major countries levied high tariffs. Despite the discussion of interdependence and

capital flow occurred after the 1970s, real world trade, capital, and personnel flows have only been on

the right track since the 1990s. Professor Ferguson believes that China and the United States play a key role

in globalization, quoting the concepts of "Chimerica" and "American Empire" in his monograph, pointing out

that the United States has provided important public goods to maintain the system. China’s funds help maintain

the US’s economic development model so that it can cope with the domestic fiscal deficit, and China itself is

also a beneficiary of the system. In fact, there is a strange marriage and odd couple between China and

the United States, which keeps this order in good shape for over 20 years.

However, the economic crisis in 2008 ended the state of " Chimerica " and " American
Empire". Globalization has already reached its peak. Professor Ferguson believes that in the postcrisis
order, China and the United States still play a significant role. The United States has begun to
decline in some areas, paying more attention to "America First" and placing allies in the second place.
China has developed its own strength through capital and other forces. However, due to strength
conditions, there will be no China-dominated world order. In addition, with the development of
networks and science and technology, the international order has been confronted with new challenges.

Social media is creating a new system of anarchy. The events of the United States and Middle East riots

represent potential threats. Professor Ferguson has combined historical research

and pointed out that great power cooperation has an irreplaceable role in the international system.

The Europe Pentarchy formed in the 19th century Vienna Conference brought about a century of
stability. After the 1945, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (P5) can effectively
manage world affairs. Therefore, the current great powers should draw on historical experience and
improve the institutional level of the P5 system. China and the United States have common interests
in issues such as anti- terrorism, cybercrime, nuclear proliferation, regulating small countries and
non-state organizations in the international system.

After this, Zhang Xiaoming, Ding Dou, Liu Haifang, Guo Jie, Chen Shaofeng, Jie Dalei, and
other professors carried out in-depth exchanges with guests and raised related questions from the
respective research fields, such as the concept of the international order and the global order, the
value of the international order,the international order and the domestic order, the position of
developing countries such as Africa, whether the current regional mechanism (such as NATO) will
continue, the legitimacy of the international order, populism and other issues. The lecture ended in
a warm and friendly atmosphere. ?

The roundtable meeting lasted two hours, and the entire discussion was in-depth and
Taiwan, economic and trade, and domestic politics'''''''''''''''' on bilateral relations in the new era.
but also new opportunities for that. A multi-perspective examination of the hot issues between
China and the United States will greatly benefit the in-depth understanding of the influence of
Taiwan, economic and trade, and domestic politics'''''''''''''''' on bilateral relations in the new era. ?

MONDAY, MARCH 19 2018

Summary:

March 19-20, 2018, 15 experts and scholars from famous think tanks and universities in China
and the United States attended the seminar “Managing Global Disorder: The Prospect of Sino-U.S.
Cooperation” held at School of International Studies of Peking University. The conference was jointly
organized by Institute For China-US People-to-People Exchange of Peking University and the United
States renowned think tank, the Council on Foreign Relations.The American scholars participating in
this seminar came from top international think tanks and research institutions such as the Council on
Foreign Relations, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the U.S. Research Center at
the University of Sydney. Chinese scholars come from well-known think tanks and academic
institutions such as Peking University, National Defense University, China Institutes of Contemporary
International Relations, China Reform and Open Forum.

At the beginning, Professor Jia Qingguo, dean of School of International Studies, Peking
University and executive director of the Institute For China-US People-to-People Exchange of Peking
University, gave a welcome speech. He emphasized that under the backdrop of changes in global order
and severe international challenges, it is meaningful to hold the seminar for clarifying the prospects of cooperation

between China and America in the management of globally disordered fields.James M. Lindsay, senior vice president

and head of research at the Council on Foreign Relations, and Paul B. Stares, senior research fellow, Director of the
Center for Preventive Action at the Council on Foreign Relations, introduced this trip to China and the content of

the research project. Wang Dong, associate professor of School of International Studies of Peking University, executive

deputy Director of the Institute For China-US People-to-People Exchange at Peking University, explained the topics and

 key concepts discussed at the conference.

http://www.cuppe.pku.edu.cn/2018-06/201806050917555063200.jpg
This seminar involves related important topics in Sino-U.S. relations. During the two-day
seminar, experts and scholars from China and the United States focused on six topics: international
order, global governance, the Belt and Road Initiative, international trade, security challenges, and
regional issues. The candid and in-depth discussions have been carried out in an attempt to build
consensus, enhance mutual trust and give full play to the role of the exchange of think tanks in Sino-U.S.
relations.

Topic1 “The challenge of the international order: comparative assessment” was presided over
by James Lindsay, and Jia Qingguo, Paul Stass, and Wang Dong made keynote speeches respectively.
Topic2 “Future of Global Governance: Adapting International Standards and Institutions to New
Challenges” was chaired by Jia Qingguo, and Senior Researcher Stewart Patrick, director of the
International Institutions and Global Governance Program at the Council on Foreign Relations; Cui Liru,
the senior consultant and former director of China Institute of Contemporary International Relations,

More than 30 spectators from School of International Studies of Peking University, People''''''''''''''''s Daily,
and China Youth Daily attended the seminar. The successful roundtable discussion was held to promote
the academic exchanges between China and the United States and had deepened the understanding of
the current world order and Sino-U.S. relations among teachers and students present here.

Professor Kazenstein visits SIS, PKU and Take a forum

Summary:

On April 24th, Peter J. Katzenstein, professor of the Cornell University’s School of Government,
visited School of International Studies, Peking University and take a forum in C105 with teachers and
students of school on the subject of his new book finished with Lucia Seybert, Variable power: Exploring
the Uncertain and Unexpected in World Politics, and the core concept, "protean power", proposed in the
book.

Prof. Katzenstein started with Proteus, the Greek god of sea, who can freely change his body
shape and have the prophetic ability, then elicited discussions on the changing power. The financial crisis
that swept the world in 2008 made him begin to ponder whether or not there were deeper factors that
led to its occurrence besides the financial system itself, and what kind of the government mechanisms
are capable of solving problems in the face of the crisis. The traditional research on international
relations pays more attention to transcendent, predictable, definite actors and events, more often the
government acts as the main subject. Professor Katzenstein’s new book focuses on the unknown or
future, unexpected and accidental factors, and the diverse actors. Unpredictability may be the new
normal.

There are many unexpected events as promoters constantly changing the historical trajectory.
Neglecting these "unexpected" usually cause misjudgments. For example, Trump''''''''''''''''s election as US
president is an event that has changed the views of many international relations scholars. The concept
of power is being continuously extended, such as soft power, which is a new trend in the study of
international relations.

Power is also more dispersed in the hands of different actors than at any time in history. Various actors
Research Association.

example is the reshape of European political ecology by immigrants and refugees in the past few years.
Professor Katzenstein’s discussion divided power into two forms, namely, traditional control power
and protean power. He pointed out that traditional research paradigms and models pursue certainty,
so gradually excluding uncertainty or equating it to risk, which has caused limitations in the study of
international relations, we should treat risks and uncertainties separately. He presented the actor used
refusal, affirmation, and improvisational or innovative response strategies under different combinations of

uncertainty and risk based on the characteristics of the international situation and the actors’ past experience.

Prof. Katzenstein presented an example that the American Government as the representative of the United States

acts as the subject of controllable power, and the American Society act as the subject of protean power,

then pointed out that controllable power and protean power coexist, entangled and co-evolve. During the lecture,

Prof. Katzenstein also combed study and nterpretation to power from different perspectives worked by Robert Alan Dahl,

Peter Bachrach, Morton Baratz, Igor Lukes Scholars such as Joseph S. Nye, Michel Foucault, and Alexander Wendt.

In the questioning session, teachers and students conducted an active academic discussion with
Professor Kazstan from perspectives such as the subject of protean power, the relationship between
protean power and constructivism, and how to recognize and obtain protean power. Professor Katzenstein is

the Walter S. Carpenter Jr professor of International Relations at School of Government, Cornell University.

His research and teaching are at the intersection of international relations and comparative politics.

Professor Katzenstein is devoted to studying political economy as well as security and cultural issues in world politics.

His current research focuses on power, regional politics and civilization, the role of the United States in the world, and

German politics. Prof. Katzenstein taught at the Department of International Relations at Cornell University School of
Government since 1973, received the Helen Dwight Reid Award for Outstanding Paper in International Relations from APSA

in 1974, and won the Woodrow Wilson Best Politics Monograph Scholarship Award of APSA in 1986, then was elected

to the National Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1987. Prof. Katzenstein got APSA Masayoshi Ohira Memorial Award in 1993,

was elected member of the American  Philosophy Association in 2009, and was the former chairman of the American

Political Science Research Association.