II. Basic Principles of International Modernization

Since there’re countries, there’re international relations. Since there’s modernization, there’re international interactions in the course of modernization. As a matter of fact, modernization embodies the overall transformation of international relations (Morse 1976). Although the internal and external affairs of a country are correlated, international affairs show a unique nature. Generally, study about international affairs and relations reside in the scope of international politics. There can be, and must be special study about the interaction between national modernization and the international environment and world modernization. We call such an interaction the international modernization. Systematic statements of the facts, characteristics and laws about international modernization form the theory of international modernization. Although classical modernization study included a large number of international comparisons, and regarded international integration as the extension of modernization beyond national boundaries (Black, 1976), its point lies in the social changes within a country, without systematic study of the function of international factors on national modernization, thus neglecting the impact of the international environment. International modernization theory is aimed at explaining the mutual functions and impacts between internal and external causes to national modernization.

1. Theories Related to International Modernization
The mutual functions between national modernization and international environment can be studied from different aspects and layers. If the study is carried out from the aspect of national levels, we can analyze the relations among national levels, international interactions and the level structure in the international system; dependency theory and world system theory basically fall into this perspective of study. If the study is carried out from the aspect of national powers, we can analyze the relations among national powers, international interactions and the strength structure in the international system; international relations and international political theory mainly adopts such a perspective. These two studies can be complementary. The theory of globalization is a theoretical analysis of the phenomenon of globalization, concerning the interactions between countries in modernization. The dependency theory, world system theory, international relations theory and globalization theory are all related to international modernization.