| Summary/Abstract |
China’s rapid economic development in recent decades has significantly
boosted its international political activities as evidenced by the promotion
of a set of relevant global foreign policy doctrines. Unlike the concepts
adopted under Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, which were rather bombastic and ideological, China’s foreign policy conceptions adopted since the
early 2000s were based on a scientific approach. This article explores
the evolution of China’s key global foreign policy concepts, enshrined
in fundamental state and party documents, through the lens of Michel
Foucault’s methodology. Employing the “archaeology of knowledge,” we
show that the key concepts reflect China’s transformation into one of
the leaders in the system of international relations, and the genealogy
of discourse helps reveal the “reflective” nature of Chinese foreign policy
discourse in contrast to the “egoistic” American one. Having studied and
rethought the experience of the United States and Europe, China places
emphasis on universal development and prosperity, designating them as its
international policy goal.
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