Slogan of “New Type of Great Power Relations”

Abstract

This chapter studies how the concept of “New Type of Great Power Relations” was gradually established in China. It argues that this concept is a multifunctional political slogan. It shows how this concept functioned to assert not only Xi Jinping’s power as the then new top leader but also China’s rising great power status. This concept was introduced in the US-China context with a high Chinese expectation that the US would acknowledge China as a more equal partner. While this concept attracted enthusiastic intellectual participation, it led to huge disagreements within the Chinese academic and policy community. By studying Chinese language literature, this chapter details the state of the debate in China. A lack of consensus within China’s intellectual community had prevented this concept from developing into concrete, actionable policy ideas that the US could accept. The subsequent academic and policy discussion also shifted the concept from Xi’s original focus on Sino-US relations to China’s relations with all major powers. In the end, the high level of conceptual vagueness in this “New Type of Great Power Relations” had aroused limited American interest and thus demotivated China, eventually leading China to shift its resources and attention to other signature slogans such as “Belt and Road Initiative” and “Community of Shared Future for Mankind”.