China’s Participation in International Institutions and the Reputation Concerns: A Response to Chen Hanxi’s Critics

　　Abstract: In his article “How China Seeks Reputation in International Institutions”, Dr. Chen claims that in my book State reputation and Foreign Strategy, I have been culpable to scholastic misconceptions, inadequate case analyses, and unfounded hypotheses. In this article, I provide my responses to his criticisms. First, I clarify the subtle difference between “reputation” and “prestige”, and provide an account for what I have meant by “policy of prestige”. Second, I provide my explanation to incorporating state reputation in my analysis. The end of the cold war has introduced a change to the distribution of power in the international system. In this structure, China, despite being the rising regional power, sees its strategic choices narrowed rather than broadened. Since its sense of insecurity cannot be entirely alleviated in the state of anarchy in the international system, to avoid being ostracized by other states, China has to actively participate in international institutions to enhance its reputation. From the case studies on nonproliferation and arms control and human rights, it is not difficult to see that China seeks neither balancing nor bandwagon policy. Nonetheless, I remain thankful to Dr Chen’s criticisms as they have provided a broad research agenda into the analysis of “state reputation” in the discipline.