1999 年，影響國際關係最為深遠之大事莫過於：北約東擴、科索 沃戰爭、北約通過「人權高於主權」的廿一世紀新戰略與「誤炸」中 共駐南斯拉夫大使館，以及美、日加強防衛合作。此一連串的事態發 展亦導致俄、「中」因深感受到箝制，遂增強互動關係，俾與西方抗 衡，以至於強權集團相互競爭對抗之局面呈現昇高之態勢。展望世紀 之交，國際局勢的發展應仍處於冷戰後的權力重組時期，美、俄兩國 2000 年總統大選結果及政策走向，更將影響未來國際社會之治亂。而 中共在大力推動經濟發展與「大國外交」後，地區霸權儼然成形， 「中國威脅論」恐難平息。

The most salient events on the international scene in 1999 were the expansion of NATO, the war in Kosovo, the adoption of a new strategy by NATO to put human rights above sovereignty, the "accidental" bombing of Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia, and the enhanced defense cooperation between the US and Japan, all of which have profoundly affected international relations. These events have made Mainland China and Russia feel unsecured and suppressed, thus having strengthened their interactions to countervail Western countries as a result. Consequently, the competition among major powers has been intensified. Looking into the future, at the turn of the century, the development of international situations can be expected to maintain its post cold war trend of reshaping global power balance. Moreover, the outcomes of general elections in the United States and Russia in 2000 and their ensuing policy changes may have a definite impact on international order. As for Mainland China, after years of Beijing's efforts to push forward economic development and the so-called "big country diplomacy", it is now emerging as a regional hegemony. Therefore, the socalled "China threat theory" would continue to flourish.