Power, Norms, and Balance: The Debate between Realism and Liberalism on Humanitarian Diplomacy

Abstract

This paper systematically explains the theoretical logic and practical tension of humanitarian diplomacy from the dual perspectives of realism and liberalism. Realism reveals its power political constraints, instrumental logic and “selective application” dilemma; liberalism focuses on institutional cooperation, normative diffusion and multi-level governance, but faces a crisis of legitimacy. The two are not simply opposites, but complementary prisms: the former warns of moral hazard and power boundaries, while the latter provides institutional paths and normative visions. This paper constructs a dual perspective framework to provide a theoretical reference for China’s “creative intervention” to explore the balance of justice and benefit.