Growth of Middle Powers Prompts Transformations in International Relations Theory, According to Chinese Scholar
Taking Center Stage: Middle Powers in a Shifting Global Landscape
Hosted in Astana on April 28, a lecture series featuring renowned Chinese political scientist Professor Yan Xuetong underscored the importance of middle powers, such as Kazakhstan, stepping up to foster subregional integration as major powers recede from global leadership roles.
During the event, organized by the Kazakhstan Council on International Relations and Qalam multimedia project, Yan—a proponent of the theory of moral realism—delved into the limitations of mainstream international relations theories and discussed the significance of leadership values in global politics.
The Changemaker: Yan Xuetong
Acclaimed as the founder of moral realism, Yan is a distinguished professor and honorary dean at the Institute of International Relations at Tsinghua University. He is known for placing leadership values and strategic preferences at the core of international politics. With an impressive list of seminal works on global leadership and foreign policy to his name, Yan serves as editor-in-chief of The Chinese Journal of International Politics and was recognized as one of the world's top 100 global thinkers by Foreign Policy magazine in 2008.
Opening the Regional Frontier
As global dynamics shift, middle powers like Kazakhstan can take advantage of increased opportunities to contribute to regional integration, according to Yan. In his view, when there is no leading power, regional powerhouses must create regional markets and frameworks for cooperation. Yan cited China-Kazakhstan relations as an exemplar of comprehensive collaboration, emphasizing that China must rely on Kazakhstan to drive deeper regional integration in Central Asia.
Navigating the Theoretical Gap
Yan's lecture focused on the shortcomings of mainstream international relations theories in explaining recent global developments. He outlined the limitations of constructivism, liberalism, and classical realism and introduced his theory of moral realism as a bridge between agency and structure.
Constructivists, who emphasize the power of norms and ideas in shaping state behavior, do not anticipate U-turns in global trends and cannot explain why the norm of globalization has ceased to drive the trajectory of history. Liberals argue that democratic institutions constrain harmful policymaking and that international institutions encourage cooperation but failed to predict the resurgence of nationalism. Classical realism focuses on power accumulation but fails to account for the impact of moral leadership.
Aligning Interests: The Power of Moral Leadership
Moral realism posits that the change in global dynamics originates from different types of moral leadership. National leaders, through their values and decision-making, have the power to establish, abandon, undermine, or reshape institutions. According to Yan, even when nations pursue similar strategic goals, the approaches taken by leaders can vary significantly, depending on their personal values. This phenomenon is known as "strategic preference."
Prioritizing Personal versus National Interests
At the core of moral realism is the belief that foreign policy is shaped not only by structural power distributions but also by the moral character of leaders, their self-interest, or their allegiance to national interests. Yan differentiated between moral leaders, who align personal goals with national interests, and immoral leaders, who prioritize regime survival or personal gain. Mainstream international relations theories assume that leaders always act in the best interests of their nation, but Yan views this as an assumption that may not always hold true. He pointed to regimes that isolate themselves despite clear economic benefits from global engagement.
The Era of Counter-Globalization
Moral realism also explains counter-globalization as a leadership-driven phenomenon rather than a byproduct of structural or institutional forces. Yan highlighted that the world changed primarily because leaders in major powers adopted de-globalization policies, marking a shift from the unified global market that emerged following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Counter-globalization can be defined as governments using their power to reduce international cooperation.
For an extended discussion on moral realism, constructivism, liberalism, and classical realism, see our enrichment data.
Footnotes
- Wikipedia: Realism (international relations)
- Wikipedia: Liberalism (political philosophy)
- Wikipedia: Constructivism (political science)
- The Chinese Journal of International Politics
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Realism
- Professor Yan Xuetong, the founder of moral realism, discussed the significance of leadership values in global politics during a lecture in Astana.
- Yan stated that when there is no leading power, regional powerhouses like Kazakhstan must create regional markets and frameworks for cooperation.
- Yan criticized constructivism for failing to explain why the norm of globalization has ceased to drive the trajectory of history, as well as the resurgence of nationalism.
- Moral realism posits that leaders with different values can significantly impact foreign policy, with some leaders prioritizing personal or regime interests over national interests.
