System, State, Society, Individual: A Multi-layered Analysis of Chinese Diplomacy

　　Abstract: The development of the discipline of International Relations, and the continuous strengthening of the academic rigor and nationalist leanings of Chinese scholars have combined with the pressures of the practical needs of Chinese diplomatic policy to shape contemporary research on Chinese diplomacy to make it theoretically aware, to encourage it to take on research themes, to standardize it, and to develop methodological awareness. In this article, the author employs a layered analytical methodology, incorporating views of system, state, society and the individual within the context of research on contemporary Chinese diplomacy to assess progress and current problems within the field. The author argues that an important avenue for developing research on contemporary Chinese diplomacy is the integration of theoretical pluralism, case study analysis, positivism and reflectivism, and a focus on the dynamic relationship between actors and structures. 

　　Author: Bai Yunzhen is a Post-Doctorate at the China Central Compilation and Translation Bureau, and a Lecturer at the School of Government Administration of the China Central University of Finance and Economics