Page 156 - 《国际安全研究》2021年第6期

Journal of International Security Studies
of globalization but also a global governance issue in the transition of international order.
International financial security contains both objective and subjective elements, which
involves objective threats at the material level and subjective fears at the conceptual
level. The three basic logics of studies of financial security focus on respectively power
competition, interest interaction and security construction. From the perspective of
global financial governance, the concept of international financial security can be
referred to as the understanding held by the key governance actors of the sources and
nature of international financial risks. As the kernel of the international financial
security concept, risk sources and their inherent nature exert a significant impact on the
hierarchy and mode of global financial governance, and play an important role in the
formation of the theoretical framework for identifying international financial security
concept. Based on this framework, the conceptual evolution of the international financial
security has gone through four main stages that respectively focus on the monetary
system security, the “perfect market” security, the micro-prudential security and the
macro-prudential security. These concepts differ greatly in terms of the sources and
nature of risks as well as such dimensions as hierarchy, logic, resilience and
effectiveness of governance. Under the current international financial system, the weaker
financial security awareness, the divergence in financial security concepts, and the fierce
competition among major countries are eroding the consensus basis of global financial
governance, which brings greater uncertainty to the international financial security.
[Keywords] international financial security concept, international financial risks,
global financial governance
[Authors] ZHANG Falin, Ph.D and Associate Professor, Zhou Enlai School of
Government and Center for Silk Road Studies, Nankai University; YAO Yuan, Ph.D.
Student, Zhou Enlai School of Government, Nankai University (Tianjin, 300350).

59 From “Wang Ji” in the Pre-Qin Period to Modern Nation-state: On
the Evolution and Transformation of Chinese Traditional National
Security Concept

ZHANG Yongpan
[Abstract] The development of Chinese traditional national security concept is closely
related to the changes of the times with different dynasties featured by different
characteristics. The current discussion of “national security” should pay due attention to
the connections and differences between ancient China and modern China. The national
security concept in ancient China can be embodied in the critiques of emperors’ virtues
and talents, benevolence and righteousness, etiquette and law, as well as political system
and people-oriented thoughts. The specific economic-social existence of ancient China set
the general tone for the national security concept featuring precautionary preparedness and
defensiveness. “National security” was dependent on the motivations of the “Sons of
Heaven” and their “subjects” and had a constructive relationship with the integration of the
order of etiquette and law, political system and military strategy. The people-oriented
thought was the key to the “survival of a country”, and “national security” was the unity of
internal and external factors. Due to the limitation of times, the ancient “national security
concept” has many limitations as well, with more importance being attached to the
development of the “central plains” than to the borderlands inhabited by non-Han people,
to cultural achievements than to military exploits, and to strategic planning than to
military capacity building. In order to materialize “national security”, successive regimes
of the historical dynasties valued such defensive measures as dispatching troops to
frontline garrisons, demarcating the border and drawing maps, setting up checkpoints and
reclaiming wastelands, as well as establishing intelligence agencies to better safeguard the

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