China''s Balancing Strategy against the U.S. in the Post-Cold War Era: A Case Study On the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

• Main Authors: Po-Yung Lin, 林伯雍
• Other Authors: Chu-Cheng Ming
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/99017896718164793598

碩士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 國家發展研究所 === 101 === For a long time, the interactive logic between realist countries has been the traditional balance of power theory. However, it is questionable if the great powers still follow this logic in the hegemony system. In 2001, a non U.S. leading security organization, Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), was founded under current international regimes. The cooperation strategy of the SCO began with traditional security cooperation and expanded to non-traditional one. Whether one of the intents for the SCO is to balance the power of the U.S. or not has been a controversial issue in academia. In order to explore the security strategies of the great powers in the hegemony system, this Research will conduct a case study based on the interaction between the U.S. and China in the post-Cold War era. The establishment of the SCO is a substantial practice of China''s security strategy: New Security, which was proposed in the post-Cold War era. To clarify China''s strategic intention, the major research question of this Research is: In the era of post-Cold War, how China interacts with the U.S. through the SCO? This Research examines China''s security strategies from three perspectives. First of all, this Research explores the intention of China concerning to China-Russia Cooperation and Shanghai Five Group. Furthermore, this Research analyzes if there is any connection between the consequences of subsequent cooperation and the intention. Finally, this Research discusses China''s New Security based on the empirical analyses. The discoveries of this Research according to the discussion on the strategic intention, non-traditional and traditional cooperation of the SCO during 1996 and 2012 are as follows: 1. In the progress of cooperation, China and Russia are the leading countries of the SCO. And the strategic arrangements of China-Russia Cooperation and Shanghai Five Group are the responses to the power expansion of the U.S. in the era of post-Cold War, confirming that China''s strategic intention is to balance the U.S. 2. From the perspective of non-traditional security cooperation, China gradually accumulates its power and balancing capital through the SCO and resists the containment pressure from the U.S. China gets involved in Central Asia affairs, achieves cooperation in energy and anti-terrorism, and raises its great power position in Central Asia. Therefore, China has more impacts on issues of strategies, energy and security. Respecting to the cooperation with Russia, it enhances the energy security. 3. From the perspective of traditional security, China amplifies its military power by means of the military maneuvers performed by the SCO and deters the peripheral countries in the region. From the perspective of diplomacy, a diplomatic platform without American factor was set up through the expansion and institutionalization of the SCO. The member states of the SCO express support with each other and state opinions to balance the U.S. In summary, China''s emphasis on New Security is just camouflage. The hidden intention is a developmental security strategy: to cover China''s development, take control of energy, develop security alliance, and increase diplomatic influences. It is apparent that China''s security strategy is adversarial instead of non-adversarial New Security. Therefore, the SCO can be seen as an organization to greatly balance the U.S. The type of balance is not comprehensive but only limited (Limited Balance). For China and the SCO, comprehensive balance is not an optimal choice. Considering limited balancing capital, no increased containment pressure from the U.S., and uncertain internal leadership of the SCO, Limited Balance will continue to be the balancing strategy for China to the U.S.