academic speculations over differing moral considerations, and rather concerns itself predominantly with the minutiae of political ritualisation. This is a result of the fact that today, as in the late 20th century, "almost all nations observe almost all principles of international law and almost all of their obligations almost all of the time."29
VVNotable and historic diplomatic interactions reveal the importance of political ritualisation as well as its underlying normative framework—revealing the accuracy of Frost’s worldview underlying a global code of “ethical appropriateness.”30 To the chagrin of many international relations scholars, for example, diplomatic negotiations preceding Chinese President Hu Jintao’s visit to the United States in April of 2006 did not address pertinent and challenging normative considerations of the time—such as a moral justifications for China’s increasing carbon emissions—rather, it was taken for granted that President George Bush and President Hu Jintao would arrange for and experience a non-hostile assembly of peaceful dialogue.31 Underlying this assumption was an unspoken yet mutually-understood norm of global diplomatic conduct—as defined by international law and custom.32 In such a context, it is unsurprising that upwards of 80 percent of negotiations surrounding this planned visit concerned the details of ceremonial ritual.33 Even in this field, it is notable that President Jintao did not wish for rituals diffusing his own particular distinguished moral universe; considerations were much more pragmatic in nature. Jintao’s representatives “pushed for a 21-gun salute, an official state dinner, and an exchange of toasts”34 not because these actions expressed the will of a particular normative moral universe, but because Jintao’s predecessor President Jiang Zemin received a similar ceremony while greeted by President Bill Clinton in 1997.[4]
8829. Louis Henkin, How Nations Behave, 2nd edition (New York, Columbia University Press, 1979), p. 47.
8830. Frost, Global Ethics: Anarchy, Freedom, and International Relations, p. 34.
8831. Lora Anne Viola, Diplomatic Ritual as Power: Deliberation, Ritualization and the Production of Legitimacy, Annual Meeting of the International Studies Association, Chicago, IL, 2007, p. 14.
8832. Frost, Global Ethics: Anarchy, Freedom, and International Relations, p. 30.
8833. Viola, Diplomatic Ritual as Power: Deliberation, Ritualization and the Production of Legitimacy, p. 14.
8834. Ibid.
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