Chinese Journal of European Studies No.4 ,2009

ARTICLES

1  Transformation of the Generating Mechanisms of the Balance of Power

LIU Feng

This paper examines the generating mechanisms of the balance of power as a state of international regime and  their transformation. Three main mechanisms exist capable of generating a balanced international system, namely the internal, external balancing and the natural rise of great powers, which exert different influences in different historical contexts: in a multipolar system, the balance of power is maintained chiefly by the alliances among great powers; under bipolarity, internal balancing occupies a key position and the balance is preserved by the arms race between the two superpowers; while in a unipolar world, only when the centers of powers have emerged in a natural way, can the balance be restored. Using historical cases, this paper tests the above-mentioned hypothesis and applies it to discuss the possibility of the restoration of the balance of power under the unipolar system.

20  The Time-Series Analysis in Forecasting International Relations

QI Haixia

Nowadays a number of literature focus on experimental studies or on regression models in forecasting international relations. As a leading forecasting method frequently used in the econometrics,the time-series analysis is relatively neglected in the IR field, into which the author introduces the time-series analysis and builds an ARIMA model by applying it in forecasting the Sino-French relations. According to the time-series analysis, the relationship between China and France belongs to the non-stationary series which is apt to change.The result proves a relatively high degree of accuracy in forecasting the bilateral relationships.

33  Postfunctionalism and the European Integration

LI Mingming

Postfunctionalism, a new development of European integration theories, both inherits from and revises the neofunctionalism. Starting with studies on EU public opinions and party politics, it analyzes the impacts of domestic politicization on the European integration process, and using identity as a key variable, it explains some of the new phenomena emerged in the EU since the 1990s. Postfunctionalism is of essential significance for both the theories and practice of European integration, but some limitations still exist. First, it seems that it holds a too pessimistic view about the politicization process. Second, the politicization process that it pays attention to is only confined to that at the domestic but not at the transnational level. Thirdly, the key position of identity in the politicization process is controversial. And finally, although postfunctionalism points out the conflicts resulted from the politicization process, it doesn't offer corresponding solutions.

46  The European Model of State-Building

LIU Zuokui

State-building is an important task which the EU performed in the reconstruction of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Through its normative and technical instruments, the EU tried to transform the weak statehood of the BiH so as to rule out the antagonism between the different entities and ethnic groups and thus laying the foundation for the full statehood of BiH. Based on the EU's practice in BiH, the author argues that the EU's state-building model is one emphasizing the normative influence but taking the technical one as affiliated. The author also believes that the EU is committed to shaping its civilian powers through mobilizing all kinds of instruments and manners of state-building.

60  The European Parliament Election in 2009:Problems and Prospects

WANG Jun

The European Parliament (EP) Election in 2009 still retains the characteristic of a "second-order" election which has not changed the left-right division between the EP and the European Council. Some structural factors including compulsory voting and the domestic election cycles of the member states provide a unique way for us to observe and explain the decline of the voter turnout  in the EP elections. The split and reconfiguration of the various national political parties and EP party groups during the 2009 EP election indicates clearly that no real-sense European political party has taken shape. The "left-right confrontation" and "European skepticism" are still the two salient dimensions of EU politics.

74  The Cultural Dimension in the EU's External Relations

GUO Lingfeng

With the advanced telecommunication techniques as a prerequisite and the expansion of West civilization as an original driving force, cultural globalization has spread all over the world. However, the various interest groups who view culture as a media of individual and collective identity are posing challenges to this "homogenization" and the intensified competition and clashes between different civilizations are threatening the world security. Based on the Commission's Communication entitled "A European agenda for culture in a globalizing world", this paper analyzes the  role of the cultural element in the EU's external relations. It examines how the EU, by taking advantages of the norms such as "cultural diversity", "cultural dialogue" and of the relationship between culture and development, is striving to establish its worldwide cultural influences.

85  The West European Trade Unions in the Context of New Social Risks

YU Nanping  LIANG Jing

The trade union movement underwent high-speed development in the 30 years after the World War Ⅱ and, with the male blue-collar workers at the center, became one of the major forces advancing the expansion of social rights for the employees. However,  the emergence of new social risks and risk groups has posed new questions.  This paper,on the one hand, discusses whether the labor participation and social composition of these trade unions have been changed and whether these unions have opened up to the new social groups. On the other hand, it relates with the problem whether the trade unions have actively made self-adjustments and  absorbed  the new social risk groups under their protection. This paper also makes a comparison and categorization of the behaviors by the west European trade unions in confrontation with these new social risks.

107  An Analysis of France's Cultural Diplomacy

PENG Shuyi

"Cultural diplomacy" is one integral part of international cultural relationships, referring to the external cultural activities guided by the government and aimed at realizing some kind of strategic purpose. France is one of the earliest countries who consciously applied the cultural instrument in its foreign policies and one of the countries who is most adept in making advantages of cultural diplomacy.By a systematic explanation of the historical process, major characters and policy instruments of French cultural diplomacy, this paper analyzes the strategic purposes of the contemporary western countries to expand their own influences and to realize their national interests by use of the soft power of culture in their external relationships.

123  Two Theoretical Approaches in ESDP Studies: Europeanization and Political Sociology

ZHANG Ji

The European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) has a 10-year history with fruitful results, whereas relatively few theoretical achievements have been produced until the very recent years. This article selects two of the representative theories in this area, that is, Europeanization and Political Sociology. It first introduces the theory of Europeanization from the differences between the Europeanization study in general and that on the ESDP, its analysis framework and the existing problems. It then moves to the Political Sociology from the perspectives of the European security and defence, its sociogenesis and the concept of "defence beyond the nation state". At last it discusses the new trends in ESDP theoretical studies which are different from the traditional ones.

137  A Book Review on The European Union and China, 1949-2008: Basic Documents and Commentary by Prof. Francis Snyder

ZENG Lingliang

his article makes a review on The European Union and China, 1949-2008: Basic Documents and Commentary by Prof. Francis Snyder, a book published at the coming of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and of the 35th anniversary of the EU-China diplomatic relationships. It is a comprehensive reference book and commentary on basic documents about the EU-China relationships since 1949, including both documents originally published in English and English translations of documents previously available only in Chinese, which draws a picture of the bilateral relations carefully depicted by the author. It also includes the author's own comments which are brief but accurate and deep-going, demonstrating the author's unique observations and viewpoints about the EU-China relations.

142  A Book Review on Class versus Generation Cleavages: A Comparative Analysis of the Politics of Pension Reform in European Welfare States

LIU Juanfeng

This essay is a short comment on the newly published book by Dr. Liu Ji, Class versus Generation Cleavages: A Comparative Analysis of the Politics of Pension Reform in European Welfare States, one of the monographs thoroughly exploring the welfare crisis in west European countries since the 1990s. The author focuses on the roles of the various social coalitions with veto powers during the retrenchment process of public pensions in  5 European countries. He finds out the causal relationship between the intensity of family support for the elderly and the formation of various social coalitions by use of extensive empirical evidence. Starting with a review of the paradigm used in this book, that is, social coalition, this article makes an overall exploration of its argumentation process, then points out the existing shortcomings and finally makes a critical comment on the author's emphasis on the model of family support for the elderly.