A seminar on "Historical Experience of the Rise of America" co-sponsored by the Center for Contemporary World Studies of Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences and the American Society of Shanghai was held in Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences a few days ago. Yu Hongjun, deputy director of the International Liaison Department and director of the Center for Contemporary World Studies, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. Shi Panwei, deputy director of the Propaganda Department of Shanghai Municipal Committee and secretary of the Party Committee of Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, delivered an opening speech. Experts and scholars from universities and research institutions in Beijing and Shanghai put forward suggestions on what and how China can learn from the United States.
Participants pointed out that it is impossible for China to copy the historical track of the rise of the United States and adhere to the path of peaceful development to become a hegemonic country, but it can learn from some specific experiences. While learning from American experience, we must see the heterogeneity between China and the United States, and don't be too superstitious about the United States.
Xu Bin, the Center for Contemporary World Studies, pointed out that the period of the rise of the United States usually refers to 100 around the end of 19. American Civil War, Spanish-American War and World War II are three important signs of the rise of the United States. In particular, World War II established the status of the United States in determining and even arranging the system of international relations. He believes that making full use of the achievements of the industrial revolution in Western Europe, making good use of international contradictions, and having a unique geographical position, the United States directly ranks among the first-class countries in the world. Yu Weimin, director of the history department of East China Normal University, believes that the industrial revolution not only provided material and technical support for the rise of the United States, but also provided an international external environment, which made the rise of the United States worldwide from the beginning.
Huang Renwei, president of the American Society in Shanghai and vice president of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out that the Internet and information revolution have brought globalization into a new stage, and the soft power of the United States has been rapidly expanded by new technologies, thus enabling the United States to achieve complete hegemony in the world system, that is, political, economic, cultural and military hegemony.
Wu Xinbo, deputy director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University, stressed that soft power is of great significance to the rise of the United States. He said that after World War II, the United States did not adopt traditional expansion methods such as alliance of great powers and colonial plunder, but proposed decolonization, international cooperation and support for developing countries. These new ideas and practices constitute the unique soft power of the United States, which distinguishes the United States from other traditional powers in history and gradually shapes the value basis for the United States to become the world hegemon. Wu Xinbo believes that in the future, the factors that lead to the change of great powers will change from war to crisis. It is of great reference value to predict what the next crisis may be and analyze what opportunities China can seize in the crisis.
Liu Ming, deputy director of the Asia-Pacific Institute of Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, believes that China's peaceful development and the rise of the United States are in different backgrounds and have different connotations, and should not deliberately imitate the United States. He stressed that in the process of China's peaceful development, the shaping of culture and system is as important as economic development, and China should pay attention to strengthening its own culture and values.