Is Beijing a Responsible Stakeholder? A Critical Assessment of China’s Role in the International System of the 21st Century according to the United States
Abstract
In a speech in 2005, Robert Zoellick called on China to become a “responsible stakeholder” in the international system. This notion soon became an official American concept, widely used in US-China relations.
Through this concept, Washington urges Beijing to become a responsible country, which sustains and enhances the present international system. Beijing accepts the American concept as an important part of US-China relations; on the other hand Chinese leaders seem hesitant and cautious regarding certain aspects of Zoellick’s idea of “responsible stakeholder.” This study will first define the American concept and compare it with Chinese political concepts; in the second part, it will concentrate on the various examples of the practical application of the concept.
A case-study dealing with China’s role in the Six-Party Talks will demonstrate the “duplicity” of Chinese behaviour and show that China, in most cases, prefers to follow its own “vital” interests rather than acting as a “responsible stakeholder.”