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A Realist Never Changes His Spots: A Critical Analysis of Yan Xuetong’s Turn to Culture in Chinese International Relations

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Asian Thought on China’s Changing International Relations

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in International Relations Series ((PSIR))

Abstract

It is almost impossible to discuss contemporary Chinese international relations research without mentioning Yan Xuetong. He has become synonymous with Chinese international relations (IR) research both within China and, importantly, beyond. He is one of a relatively small number of Chinese academics to earn recognition amongst non-Chinese colleagues in the discipline of IR. In a recent survey, Yan Xuetong was identified as one of the most prominent Chinese IR scholars - almost 50% of those surveyed ranked Yan as one of the top four IR scholars in China today (Kristensen and Nielsen 2010: 36). Alongside his position as an academic, he can also be described as one of China’s leading public intellectuals, named one of Foreign Policy’s top 100 public intellectuals in 2008 (Foreign Policy 2008). His influence thus extends beyond the academic world to wider public and policy discourses. Yan acts as an adviser to the International News Center of CCTV (Chinese state television) and is influential with China’s opinion-makers in the mass media. His research has been important in shaping public policy as well as recent intellectual trends in China. The purpose of this chapter is to critically assess Yan’s contributions to Chinese international relations research and in particular to analyze his influence on thinking about China’s changing role in international relations (the question of China’s rise) and the role that Chinese culture can play in such thinking.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Manchester, UK

    Linsay Cunningham-Cross

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  1. Linsay Cunningham-Cross
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Nottingham, UK

    Niv Horesh (Associate Professor and Reader of Chinese Studies) (Associate Professor and Reader of Chinese Studies)

  2. University of Western Sydney, Australia

    Niv Horesh (Associate Professor and Reader of Chinese Studies) (Associate Professor and Reader of Chinese Studies)

  3. Institute for Social Justice, Australian Catholic University, Australia

    Emilian Kavalski (Associate Professor of Global Studies) (Associate Professor of Global Studies)

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© 2014 Linsay Cunningham-Cross

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Cunningham-Cross, L. (2014). A Realist Never Changes His Spots: A Critical Analysis of Yan Xuetong’s Turn to Culture in Chinese International Relations. In: Horesh, N., Kavalski, E. (eds) Asian Thought on China’s Changing International Relations. Palgrave Studies in International Relations Series. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137299338_3

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