澳大新語 • 2021 UMAGAZINE 24 45 人物專訪 • EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW revisionist. Moreover, they argues that the US, as a status-quo power, has continued to undermine the international order which was established in the aftermath of the Second World War. ‘Whether a rising power is revisionist depends on how much stake a country has in the current international order, and what benefits it stands to gain from it.’ says Prof Hu. ’A lot of evidence suggests that China is a strong supporter of the international order with the UN System at its core. Under this international order, China has seen huge developments and economic gains in the past several decades. In recent years, we have also seen China’s increased participation in global governance and international bodies. These facts all point to one conclusion: China is not revisionist as described in the conventional international relations theory.’ Prof Hu is also trying to connect scholarship in international relations and public administration in Macao and the GBA. As the director of the FSS Centre for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Studies, Prof Hu seeks to draw valuable lessons from international practices, especially those in the European Union, to inform further integration within the GBA. Under the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ principle, Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao follow different economic and legal systems despite being parts of the same country. To promote the flow of goods, capital, and personnel across the GBA, Prof Hu is studying how countries in the European Union have designed and implemented practical solutions to related issues. ‘These are not only research topics for IR scholars, but also important issues the governments and think tanks in the GBA should consider,’ says Prof Hu. Prof Hu adds that with the integration of data science and artificial intelligence into public administration, today’s civil servants need to be more tech-savvy than ever. However, there is a lack of data skills in the local government, which is a barrier to developing a mature approach to working with or sharing data. ‘Therefore, the Smart Governance Specialisation in the data science programme will provide students with vital skills in handling, analysing, and visualising data,’ says Prof Hu. ‘We hope they can turn large data sets into insights that can inspire better public services.’ Moreover, the FSS and the School of Public Affairs of Zhejiang University (ZJU) launched a joint research centre for smart government in July 2021. Prof Hu says that ZJU has been instrumental in the use of big data and smart governance in Zhejiang province, which is at the forefront in these areas in China. ‘At the joint lab, we will explore better ways to share data with the government, support policymaking and policy evaluation with data, and apply cloud technologies to make public services simpler and more accessible to the public.’ Connecting IR Studies to GBA Development Despite heavy administrative duties, Prof Hu has continued with his research in international relations (IR). In July 2021, his book, Contesting Revisionism: China, the United States, and the Transformation of International Order, co-authored with three political scientists, was published by Oxford University Press. In this new book, Prof Hu challenges the conventional IR theory that sees rising nations as revisionists seeking to overthrow the existing international order or to clash with an existing superpower(s) (otherwise known as status‑quo states). Prof Hu says many scholars and policymakers in the West believe that China fits this traditional description of a revisionist power. The new book rejects this claim with empirical evidence. By comparing the US and China's adherence to the fundamental principles and institutions of international relations, the two countries’ participation in international treaties and organisations, their patterns of engagement with other countries, and their voting practices in United Nations bodies, Prof Hu and his fellow authors suggest that a rising power is not necessarily 掃二維碼 觀看訪談片段 Scan the QR code to watch the interview
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