Chinese Foreign Policy in the Era of Great Power Competition

China's foreign policy is one of the most significant forces shaping global politics today. This book examines the evolving logic, instruments, and contradictions of China's approach in an era of intensified great power competition. It explores China's reshaped relations with the United States and Europe, its deepening yet uneasy alignment with Russia, its evolving security and economic strategies along its periphery, and its expanding influence in the Global South. Rather than portraying China as pursuing a singular, coherent grand strategy, the chapters reveal a complex picture of ambition and constraint, cooperation and competition, confidence and insecurity. This edited volume brings together a collection of previously published articles from the Journal of Contemporary China, offering a cohesive and insightful analysis of these themes. At its core is a compelling idea: China's foreign policy combines hard-nosed concerns about power, security, and rivalry with a strategic reliance on institutions, economic ties, and global governance. This duality explains why China alternates between challenging the existing international order and working within it. Written in clear, accessible language, this book is essential reading for students, policymakers, and general readers in the fields of international relations, political science, Asian studies, and global governance. It offers valuable insights into China's growing global role and its profound implications for the future of international relations.

Suisheng Zhao is Professor and Director of the Center for China-US Cooperation at Josef Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs, University of Denver. He is the founder and editor of the Journal of Contemporary China and the author and editor of over two dozen books and hundreds of academic articles.

China's Power Ambition, Strategic Tangling and Evolving Global Reach 1. Talk the Talk and Walk the Walk: Can Regular Communication Reverse the Prolonged Crisis in the U.S.-China Relationship? 2. The U.S.-China trade war: Who is more injured? 3. The Chinese Public's Perceptions of the European Union: Changes and Stability Revealed by 2010 and 2020 Surveys 4. The Ramifications of China's Maritime Equipment Industry Policies for the EU 5. Empowerment Versus Entrapment: Beijing's International Anti-Hegemonic United Front Strategy Amid Russia's Invasion of Ukraine 6. Chinese Re-Examinations of Russia? The Strategic Partnership in the Wake of Russia's War Against Ukraine 7. Tracing the Path of Sino-Ukrainian Relations: From the Post-Soviet Era to the Russo-Ukrainian War 8. Amity, Security, Influence: Explaining China's Policy Toward Afghanistan, 1949-2024 9. China's Interventions in 'Gray Special Economic Zones' in Southeast Asia's Borderlands 10. Rare Earth and Resource Nationalism: What Happened Before and After China's Embargo on Japan? 11. Stability Maintenance and the 'Three Evils': Framing China's Role in Central Asia 12. Is there a Chinese "Developmental peace"? Evidence from the Belt and Road Initiative's Impact on Conflict States 13. Can The BRI Deliver High-Quality Development? A Multi-Actor Analysis of China's Overseas Economic Zones 14. Is China Truly the Spokesperson for Developing Countries? An Examination of China's Voting Position with Africa in the United Nations Security Council 15. China's Economic Diplomacy Towards the Gulf Cooperation Council States