Amidst the unprecedented great changes unseen in a century, the world political order is undergoing systemic transformation, and the traditional Western interpretive framework can no longer adapt to the realities of development. Recently, Renmin University of China Press has grandly published A History of World Politics (three volumes), and hosted a new book launch and high-end deans' dialogue event themed "Retelling World Politics: Writing a History of World Politics for a New Era from the Perspective of China's Autonomous Knowledge System". Moderated by Associate Professor Ma Jiahong from the School of International Relations at Renmin University of China, three academic heavyweights gathered together to conduct an in-depth dialogue on topics such as the core viewpoints and theoretical innovations of the work, as well as the construction of China's autonomous knowledge system of political science, presenting an intellectual feast that combines academic profundity with practical significance for the on-site and online audiences.
Three distinguished scholars with profound accomplishments in international relations were invited to this event, delivering multi-dimensional and high-caliber academic insights.
Yang Guangbin, Director-General of the School of International Relations at Renmin University of China and author of A History of World Politics (three volumes). He has long been committed to research on the basic theories and methods of political science and contemporary Chinese politics, and has advanced the research agendas of historical political science and world political science, exerting a profound and far-reaching influence.
Dai Changzheng, Director-General of the School of International Relations at the University of International Business and Economics. His research spans multiple secondary disciplines including political science theory, comparative politics, international politics and public administration, boasting profound academic attainments and strong capacity for knowledge transfer.
Xie Tao, Director-General of the School of International Relations at Beijing Foreign Studies University. He has long been deeply engaged in the research of American politics and China-US relations, possessing both outstanding academic strength and personal charisma, and enjoying great inspiration and influence in the field of international relations.
As the core of this event, Professor Yang Guangbin elaborated on the original intent and theoretical breakthroughs of A History of World Politics (three volumes). While there are existing works on the history of international relations and universal world history in the current academic circle, the study of world political history with blocs of states as the core subject remains a disciplinary blank, and few works of the same genre can be found at home and abroad. Global history focuses on topics free of political sensitivities, whereas world political history has been shunned for touching on Western sensitive historical narratives. As a representative country of the Global South, China has a responsibility to trace back to historical truths.
This work abandons the traditional Western mode of historical interpretation: Western social sciences underwent transformations of "de-imperialization" and "de-socialization" after World War II, rendering their theoretical frameworks divorced from reality. The practices of the Trump administration have even completely undermined the explanatory power of the three mainstream paradigms in international relations.
Structured around the narrative thread of "Parallel Worlds – The Rise of the Liberal Imperial World Order – Awakening, Liberation and the Restructuring of the World Order", and with political ideological trends as its central line, the three-volume work constructs a form of "new historiography" that integrates historical accounts with theoretical analysis. Two core breakthroughs stand out in particular: first, it adopts a 3,000-year perspective of civilizational evolution to examine the parallel development and differentiation of major civilizations, breaking away from Western-centrism; second, it highlights the "dual movement", chronicling both the history of Western expansion and the resistance of colonized regions, thus remedying the flaw of one-sided narration in traditional historiography. Opening with Chinese civilization and concluding with Chinese-style modernization and a new form of human civilization, the work fully embodies the Chinese standpoint and global vision. In addition, A History of World Politics (three volumes) provides historical underpinnings for An Introduction to World Politics, endowing the theories of world political science with greater persuasive power. After all, in the Chinese conception of disciplinary construction, a discipline can hardly take root without a solid historical foundation.
Professor Dai Changzheng affirmed the value of the historical narration of A History of World Politics (three volumes) from the perspective of comparative politics. Traditional comparative political research mostly takes the single nation-state as the analytical unit, with its interpretive framework embedded in Western standpoints and one-sidedness. In contrast, A History of World Politics (three volumes) regards blocs of states, civilizational forms and the world market as its core analytical units, conceives the world as an integrated whole, and expands the research boundaries through long-term historical comparison.
By demonstrating the institutional evolution paths of different civilizations and countries, the work confirms the thesis that "institutional choices are determined by history" and shatters the myth of the "universality" of Western institutions. Meanwhile, it places China's experience within the overall structure of world political evolution, thus changing China's positioning as an "exception". As a major civilized country home to one-sixth of the world's population, China's political practices and institutional explorations hold significant theoretical value. It will shift from a "verified object" to a "source of theory" in the future, driving the structural transformation of world political science.
Professor Xie Tao focused on the current state of American politics and the predicaments of international relations theory, and expounded on the necessity of non-Western narratives. On the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, its domestic democracy has plunged to its worst state, plagued by issues such as the oppression of minority groups and social division; internationally, it openly undermines the international order, rendering its so-called "liberal international order" "neither liberal nor orderly". Once a pioneer in science, technology and education, the US has now become an object of criticism in political and moral terms, and a negative example for fostering patriotism in other countries.
The Trump administration's anti-globalization measures, its abandonment of international organizations and disregard for democratic principles have completely eroded the three cornerstones of liberalism, leaving the three traditional mainstream paradigms of international relations unable to explain the contemporary world. The times are in urgent need of an American-centrism-free international relations theory. A History of World Politics (three volumes) addresses the fundamental questions of "Where do we come from?", "How have we arrived at the present?" and "Where are we heading?", forging a more inclusive and explanatory narrative of world politics. This narrative is not a deliberate attempt to "de-Westernize"; instead, it takes the common interests of all humanity and the evolution of civilizations as its starting point, and offers Chinese wisdom for the restructure of the world order in the future.
Centering on the construction of China's autonomous knowledge system of political science, the three professors exchanged their insights and put forward constructive approaches:
Professor Yang Guangbin advocated for building a "Chinese school of political science", establishing methodologies aligned with China's history and culture, and refining theories based on the resources of China's political development. This includes the modern transformation of China's traditional political civilization, the theorization of contemporary China's political systems and practices, and the systematization of the Party's innovative theories.
Professor Dai Changzheng argued that constructing an independent knowledge system is a historical inevitability. Having accumulated rich experience in national governance and social development, China needs to break free from the path dependence on Western theories. He proposed extracting core concepts from China's distinctive practices such as consultative democracy and the civilizational state, and developing theories with universal explanatory power.
Professor Xie Tao put forward a "three-step" strategy: the first step is to refine concepts and theories that can explain China itself based on Chinese practices; the second step is to expand from China to the world, using Chinese theories to interpret global phenomena; the third step is to make Chinese theories accepted by the international community, integrated into foreign classrooms and textbooks, and ultimately realize genuine innovation in the knowledge system.
During the event, the guests also responded to a number of hot topics. For non-professional readers, Professor Yang Guangbin suggested broadening their historical perspective, fostering cultural confidence through long-term historical comparisons, and forming a more comprehensive understanding of the evolutionary logic of world politics. He also offered an incisive response to the popular topic of "success studies", combining the evolution and practical predicaments of relevant arguments in Western social sciences. Faced with the smearing and containment by Western mainstream media, Professor Xie Tao proposed leveraging new media platforms such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu to narrate American stories from a Chinese perspective, and expanding communication by drawing on successful cases of "foreigners interpreting other countries". When talking about the phenomenon of "valuing science over liberal arts", Professor Dai Changzheng stated that this is a temporary trend. A nation's civilization relies not only on the material civilization as its foundation, but also on the spiritual civilization composed of social sciences, humanities and history. With the development of the country, the humanities and social sciences will gain increasing attention.
This event focused on the academic value and practical significance of A History of World Politics (three volumes). From diverse perspectives, the three professors provided in-depth interpretations of the book's theoretical innovations, the value of its historical narration, and the approaches to constructing China's independent knowledge system of political science. As a forward-looking work rooted in China's problem consciousness, A History of World Politics (three volumes) will continue to prove its profound practical insight amid the transformation of the global order.