Page 176 - 国际安全研究2019年第5期
P. 176
Vo1. 37, No. 5, September/October 2019
29 A Study of the National Security Thoughts of the Liao Empire
WEI Zhijiang and TAO Sha
[Abstract] In the late 9th and early 10th century, the Khitan people founded the Liao
Empire, a gigantic empire that spanned Northeast Asia and inland Asia in Chinese
history. As a multi-ethnic highly-centralized state established by the nomads, the
Liao Empire created its national politics with an institutionalized framework
featuring “rule by customs” and “dual systems in one state” as well as national
security thoughts that laid equal stress on farming and nomadism. In order to build a
world order centered on the Liao Empire, the Empire resorted to both peaceful
means and tactics of war. On the one hand, under the guidance of the Confucian
ideology— “rule of virtue”, the Empire established Jimi system (an autonomous
administrative and political organization system), tributary system and
suzerain-vassals system in order to guarantee its safe development. As a result, the
Liao Empire not only secured its diplomatic advantage over the Song Dynasty but
also successively made Koryo and Western Xia (Xixia) in East Asia as well as the
inland Asian Qocho (Gaochang Huihu), Kara-khanids and Khwarazm kingdoms pay
tribute to it, which enabled the Liao Empire to be able to survive numerous wars and
thrive for two hundred years. On the other hand, in order to safeguard the security of
its northwest frontier and protect the Silk Road from inland Asia to East Asia, the
Liao Empire carried out military expeditions on Outer Mongolia, pursued both
suppression and pacification policies and built a set of border cities for the sake of
border defense. In addition, the Liao Empire adopted such measures as opening up
wasteland for cultivation of farm crops and encouraging migration to the northwest
frontier to implement its strategy towards Outer Mongolia so as to construct a
frontier defense system and pave a smooth way for the Grassland Silk Road from
Outer Mongolia to the Western Regions (Xiyu) and even to Europe.
[Keywords] Liao Empire, rule by customs, national security, suzerain-vassal
relationship, frontier security
[Authors] WEI Zhijiang, Vice Dean, Professor and Ph.D. Supervisor, School of
International Relations, Sun Yat-sen University (Zhuhai, 519000); TAO Sha,
Postdoctoral Researcher, School of International Relations, Sun Yat-sen University
(Zhuhai, 519000).
55 A Discussion on National Security Strategic Capability under the
Background of Integrationn
SU Yu and WEI Song
[Abstract] Capability is the foundation for achieving strategic objectives of national
security and the top priority in the practices of national security strategies. However,
it hasn’t been discussed fully in national security theories. As a new concept,
national security strategic capability is related to but different from such traditional
concepts as national security capability and national strategic capability in national
security theories. It mainly refers to the ability to promote and implement national
security strategies. With the continuous expansion of the concept of national security,
national security strategic capability also calls for an in-depth analysis under an
integrated national strategic framework. When applied to the field of national
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