The rise of the People’s Republic of China and Beijing’s hegemonic aspirations pose a challenge to academic research, constituting an issue that is worth of interest and analysis for its...Show moreThe rise of the People’s Republic of China and Beijing’s hegemonic aspirations pose a challenge to academic research, constituting an issue that is worth of interest and analysis for its implications on international relations. This work targets two elements in Chinese foreign politics: the Community of Shared Future for Mankind and the Near-Seas Strategy, each of which has a major role in Beijing’s relations with other countries. Moreover, this thesis proposes that the relation between the two elements is hitherto unexplored and warrants for further investigation, for these topics often recur in IR literature, but only independently. Therefore, it sets to understand the nature of such relation, through an analysis that is both numerical and qualitative – highlighting their meaning, components and implications – as well as an interpretation through the concept of Harmony. The analysis will show that documents and discourses concerning the Community of Shared Future for Mankind focus mostly on peaceful development and (win-win) cooperation, whereas the Near-Seas Strategy expresses and addresses Beijing’s concerns in the South Chinas Sea and towards the ongoing disputes with other countries in the area, namely Taiwan. Finally, the interpretation through the concept of Harmony will shed a light on their coherency towards the goal of a Harmonious society.Show less
