Geopolitics in the Age of Globalization

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Geopolitics is a branch of international relations with a long history, predating even international relations itself. From the ancient Greek period to the Renaissance, people had shown great concern for geographical factors related to human survival, such as water, climate, and land. It was after the 16th century that European political thinkers began to systematically contemplate the relationship between geography and politics.  For instance, French thinkers such as Jean Bodin and Montesquieu elaborated on the impact of geographical environments on political systems, national character, and national morale. By the 19th century, geopolitics had undergone considerable systematic development, with theories such as sea power theory, land power theory, and air power theory emerging successively. 

However, having been used by social Darwinists as a tool to argue for the “rationality” of their own theories, particularly by Nazi Germany to justify its foreign expansion, geopolitical theory was heavily stigmatized after the WWII. Scholars were also wary of the term “geopolitics.” Simultaneously, the geographical barriers between countries were greatly diminished due to the rapid advancement of transportation, communication, and other technologies. Consequently, geopolitics gradually waned in influence, impacted by integration theory, interdependence theory, and globalization theory.

Despite technological advancements, geography continues to exert a significant influence on inter-state relations. Similar to  traditional international relations concepts such as balance of power, collective security, threat and deterrence, power politics, and checks and balances, geopolitics also requires reinterpretation in contemporary times. Compared to the post-WWII and even the early post-Cold War period, today’s geopolitical environment has undergone dramatic changes. Although geopolitical competition still exists, its expression differs substantially from traditional understanding. 

The accelerating evolution of the profound global changes unseen in a century calls for a new way of understanding geopolitics. In this context, Geopolitics in the Age of Globalization, by Liu Xuelian, a professor from the School of Public Administration at Jilin University, among others, has enriched the field under the new international environment and historical conditions.

Although traditional geopolitical theory possesses objective and scientific aspects, it is increasingly unable to explain the shifts in international relations in the era of globalization. It has essentially lost its predictive function and is limited to explanation and description. In the era of globalization, the focus of competition between countries is not geopolitical, but economic. The world economy, not territorial conquest, forms the core of countries’ foreign strategies. Correspondingly, safeguarding economic interests under the premise of following the law of the market and maintaining the stability of international order should become the core concern of geopolitical theory in the new era.

Dai Changzheng is dean of the School of International Relations at the University of International Business and Economics.

Edited by YANG LANLAN