Publication

In this talk, Yan Xuetong identifies himself as a political realist who nevertheless believes in the virtues of novel methodological approaches. Indeed, his work features international relations (IR) concepts drawn from his study of the political thinkers and social theorists who made up the ‘Golden Age of Chinese Thought’. In addition to describing this legacy, he also elaborates on the Tsinghua School’s approach to IR theory, defends Chinese forms of political realism, and discusses China’s difficulty in defining its place in the world.