Globalization's Influence on Contemporary International Relations

Globalization is a social process independent of man’s will. It is also a dynamic development process with inner contradictions and a dual nature. Although it provides a rare historic opportunity for many countries to develop, it also creates differences, competition and conflicts of interest. Globalization’s contradictions and dual nature also exert a complicated influence on contemporary international relations.

While globalization deepens mutual dependence and further promotes this era’s trend toward peace and development, its nature of imbalance has led to the rise of power politics in the same period, complicating the process of multipolarization.

The acceleration of globalization has continually deepened mutual dependence and mutual penetration among countries in various areas, including the economic realm, and increased common interests. In competitive and frictional relations among big powers, cooperation and interaction have appeared. The ability of a single country to unilaterally settle and dominate international affairs has declined. Any country that willfully employs foreign interference, sanctions and war to undermine the interests of other countries will always find itself threatened. Therefore, in settling international conflicts, cooperation, coordination and seeking common interests have increasingly been adopted. The development of globalization is an important factor that has made the post-Cold-War international system relatively stable, playing a vital role in restricting all-out confrontation among big powers. This fact proves that peace and development will remain the theme of the era for quite a long time. Large-scale world war is avoidable and invigorating economic growth while seeking a more benefic...

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...eaking, globalization requires that international regimes play a stronger role in international relations under the auspices of effective international institutions. But almost all existing international organizations, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the United Nations and the Group-8, were founded during the Cold War and are dominated by Western powers. In the post-Cold War era, more and more people question the function and nature of these organizations, which seem incapable of settling new issues that are appearing in the process of globalization. In the next 15 years, reform or the complete overthrow of these regimes is unlikely because of the current structure of international political and economic forces, but violent debates surrounding the formulation and reform of international rules of conduct will proceed.