China as a great power: Reconsidering face culture in Chinese foreign policy

Abstract

This article attempts to comprehend China's foreign policy as the nation takes on the status of a great power. By adopting the Chinese concept of “face” as an analytical tool, my paper illustrates why face as a cultural expression of desire for collective “self-esteem” has been increasingly important to China's current foreign policy, and how the cultural mandate of face informs China's interactions with other nations in order to strive for national self-esteem. It reveals the motivational, cognitive, and behavioural logic behind China's decision to participate in global governance and partnership diplomacy, as well as its use of coercion. The article suggests that China as a great power is neither innately pacifist in maintaining the status quo nor hardwired with revisionist aims to overthrow the existing international order. Instead, its behavioural tendencies largely depend on how other parties can fulfil its desire for face.