Geo-setting research: Idea, agenda and approaches

In the past 12 years, geo-setting research has made great progress and become one of the key points in the current domestic geopolitical research, gathering many domestic geopolitical research groups and promoting the revival of China's geopolitical studies. On the basis of summarizing and analyzing the latest developments and trends of geopolitics and geo-setting research in China and abroad, this paper focuses on the idea, agenda and approaches of geo-setting research. Centered on the interactive practices of multiple geo-actors, its idea regards the geo-setting as the "information" or decision-making dataset for their interactive practices, which also results from their interactions. Thus, geo-actors' decisions for actions can be made under complete information, incomplete information, or even when true or false information cannot be distinguished. Under this new thought, the geo-setting research agenda generally includes three items: (1) the analysis of geo-setting elements (including fundamental, relational and structural elements); (2) the spatio-temporal process and mechanism of geo-setting; (3) the design of geo-setting technical system. In order to integrate different fields, various scales and multiple actors, this paper takes the conflict in northern Myanmar as an example to present three approaches of geo-setting research, namely, cross-field interaction, cross-scale coupling and multiple geo-actors' game playing. Under current complex situation of once-in-a-century changes and COVID-19 pandemic, clarifying the idea, agenda and approaches of geo-setting studies is of great theoretical value and practical significance for accurately and scientifically analyzing the current complex situation and proposing China's response strategies. © 2023, Science Press. All right reserved.