By Ankit Panda
The world may be moving on from the Westphalian international system, but China isn’t playing along.
The Atlantic Council’s Barry Pavel has an interesting column over at Defense News where he lays out the case that international relations has entered an era that is no longer accurately described by the assumptions about sovereignty laid out by the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia. He writes that the Westphalian model is incomplete because “nation-states are joined on the global stage by powerful individuals, groups and others who can and are taking actions that are disrupting the traditional world order.” He adds that “while these actors have operated for some time, their ability to effect decisive global and regional change is about to grow exponentially.” Pavel suggests we call this phenomenon the “Westphalian-plus global landscape.”
While reading Pavel’s argument, I couldn’t help but notice that while the world at large — particularly the West — may have moved on from the Westphalian model, one major state continues to abide by several Westphalian assumptions: China. Pavel’s argument accounts for the explosion in democratic protests and populist movements worldwide, best encapsulated by the “Arab Spring” which gripped the Middle-East and North Africa (Pavel notes Venezuela and other examples as well). While this sort of “people power” may be driving events in regions important to the United States, very little can be said about the impact of these forces on how China, the world’s most populous nation and the rising power du jour, positions itself on the world stage and interacts with other nations.
Read the full story at The Diplomat