On July 14th, CISS Director DA Wei published an article named "Security Concerns are Reasonable, Sphere of Influence are Not" on The Washington Quarterly Vol. 45. Da Wei elaborated on the concept and difference between "sphere of influence" and "security concerns" in his article. He noted that both the Chinese government and academia oppose the idea of "great powers seeking exclusive spheres of influence," and that all countries also have legitimate security concerns that deserve respect. In dealing with international affairs, lawfulness, sensibility and reasonableness are the three levels of consideration that Chinese culture often uses when judging an action or policy. The conduct of states should operate on the basis of international law, which is the basic rule of international relations. At the same time, emphasizing only lawfulness is not enough, and the wisdom of self-restraint and empathy is needed in today's great power politics.