1990's was an important decade for the shift of structural patterns in a post-Cold War world. With peace and development
being the theme of the era, political multipolarization and economic globalization were accelerated, and there occurred significant
international events one after another. Typically among them are the German reunification, the collapse of Soviet Union, a new pattern of big-power relationships emerging in embryo, Gulf War and Kosovo War, frequent trade disputes and monetary crises, the rise of Asia and EU, Knowledge Economy and American Boom, great frustrations in disarmament and arms control, and rampancy of American hegemonism. The above major historical events are preluding six trends of international
situations: (1) imbalance of international power will continue for a certain period, but in the process of the world multipolarization, the American hegemony will be confronted with challenges from all around; (2) peace and development are still prevalent as the theme of the new century, while international situations are complicated with the coexistence of stability in general and instability in part; (3) the struggle for establishing and improving a new international order is tending more and more fierce, as the U.S.-led Western powers play a dominant role; (4) military security is resuming its importance, and escalation of arms race exacerbates the risks of regional conflicts; (5) the process of economic globalization makes the developed Western industries the biggest winners, and means a double-edge sword with both advantages and disadvantages for the developing nations; (6) Asia is rising to the center of the world affairs in parallel with Europe, while Sino-US strategic contradictions are deepening.