FSS-DGPA seminar: Power and Diplomacy

Speaker: Prof. Qingmin ZHANG , Distinguished Professor, Peking University

Date: 28/11/2025 (Thu)

Time: 10:00-11:30

Venue: E21B-G002

Language: English

Abstract: This lecture examines the relations between national power and diplomacy by studying and comparing the diplomatic practices of different states. It discusses how historical great powers often prioritized the pursuit of hegemony while neglecting diplomacy, and how some small powers have successfully elevated their international influence through diplomacy. It then zooms in on China, exploring how diplomatic failures precipitated late Qing China’s decline and how skillful diplomacy, particularly since the late 1970s, has been central to China’s reemergence as a major power in international politics.