Why Beijing Has Been Going Global
Modern China has a long tradition of reaching out to the developing world. In the Cold War era, this was made mostly in the context of ideological competition with the West and the Soviet Union. In the early 2000s, Beijing saw developing countries mostly as sources of commodities and outlets for its manufactured goods, but its focus has evolved into the ideological and military dimensions.
Ten China experts here explore China’s engagement in Southeast Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, under a uniform set of questions including Beijing’s primary objectives, means and evaluation of regional engagement, and other countries’ perceptions and responses to its growing influence. The book draws key patterns of China’s strategy: Pursue a package approach, or “comprehensive engagement,” bringing economic, political and soft power to bear in a co-ordinated manner. The authors argue in unison that Beijing has sought to partner with developing countries to foster a more “democratic,” multipolar international order, aimed at countering US pre-eminence and limiting its scope for unilateral action. In this way, China ushers in an era of illiberal rejuvenation in which Beijing’s powerful economy and a message of non-intervention resonate in autocratic states, kleptocracies, Islamic republics, and with anyone suspicious of the West.
The book draws key patterns of China’s strategy: Pursue a package approach.