China’s Foreign Relations under Authoritarian Rule: Structural Patterns and Strategic Implications

Mikayla B. Arbeene
Prof. Zhijun Wen, Faculty Mentor

This research project examines how regime type shapes the structure and strategic depth of China’s foreign relations in the contemporary era. It asks: to what extent does China’s authoritarian party-state determine who it partners with, through what channels, and how deep and durable those relationships become? The research engages two main images of the Chinese state: a centralized, neoclassical-realist, party-state capitalist regime versus a disaggregated, international embedded regulatory state. Using qualitative analysis of post-Cold war media, scholarly work, and official documents, supplemented by basic quantitative data on China’s economic, security, and diplomatic ties, it develops a framework that distinguishes “structure” from “strategic depth.” Empirically, it focuses on three domains, Belt and Road-related development finance, South China Sea disputes, and global diplomatic discourse and legal ordering. It argues that regime type is necessary but insufficient as its effects are mediated by fragmented regulatory statehood and dense international regimes.

Keywords: China, Regime Type, Foreign Policy, Structure and Strategy, Post-Cold War

Topic(s):Chinese
Political Science
Asian Studies

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Session: TBA
Location: TBA
Time: TBA