Chinese Politics and Foreign Policy under Xi Jinping: The Future Political Trajectory

385 Pages·2021·4.741 MB·English

by  Arthur S. Ding and Jagannath P. Panda

Chinese Politics and Foreign Policy under Xi Jinping brings together an
impressive collection of studies, each investigating a topic of crucial im-
portance to the future of the PRC. The book also addresses important ques-
tions regarding China’s future in a post-COVID-19 world, both at home and
abroad. As the Xi Jinping era continues to unfold, this timely and informa-
tive collection will be a valuable asset to causal readers, students and schol-
ars, and members of the policy community alike.
—Jeffrey Becker, Director, Indo-Pacific Security
Affairs Program, China & Indo-Pacific Security
Affairs Division, Centre for Naval Analysis, USA
Important scholarship to understand Xi Jinping’s “new era”, his agenda to
change China and its strategic position in the world, and how his personal
leadership has made a difference on China’s domestic and international
policies.
—Mathieu Duchatel, Director of Asia Program,
Institut Montaigne, Paris
Since taking China’s leadership in the fall of 2012, Xi Jinping has signif-
icantly revised the Chinese political system and changed the direction of
various policy domains. These developments have deviated from the direc-
tion set by Deng Xiaoping in the 1980s. What have changed and what are
the implications of these changes are issues that have attracted worldwide
attention. Dr. Arthur Ding and Dr. Jagannath Panda have assembled an ex-
cellent group of analysts to comprehensively examine these issues. This is a
timely and comprehensive contribution to these topics. This volume should
be an essential reading for those interested in politics and foreign policy of
contemporary China.
—Chien-wen Kou, Distinguished Professor,
Department of Political Science and Graduate
Institute of East Asian Studies, and Director
of Institute of International Relations,
National Chengchi University, Taipei
Xi Jinping is increasingly compared to Mao Zedong, and there is every indi-
cation he has as much power as the PRC’s founding father. Deng Xiaoping,
the leader most associated with opening up the PRC, famously said “it doesn’t
matter if the cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice”. As this superb
and timely volume shows, the PRC is now ruled by a leader who does care if
the cat is black or white. This excellent volume edited by Arthur S. Ding and
Jagannath P. Panda rightfully put Xi at the center of the changes – for better
and for worse – that are taking place in the PRC and should be required read-
ing for those seeking to understand the country’s current trajectory.
—John Hemmings, Associate Professor,
Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center
for Security Studies, Honolulu

Chinese Politics and Foreign Policy
under Xi Jinping
This book focuses on China’s future under Xi Jinping’s authoritarian lead-
ership by examining various facets of the political, economic, social and
foreign policy trajectories of contemporary China.
It assesses Xi Jinping’s power dynamic as the ‘core’ leader of the Com-
munist Party of China (CPC) and analyses the impact of Xi’s signature
domestic policies which demonstrate his political authority within the do-
mestic sphere. Moreover, the book presents Xi’s pro-active, assertive and
action-oriented outlook as a foundation for China’s diplomacy in the ‘new
era’. Bringing together an international set of experts in the field who ex-
plore critical facets of China under Xi Jinping that deeply influence the
regional as well as the global order, the book investigates the impact of
Chinese initiatives such as the grand Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the BRICS New Devel-
opment Bank (NDB). Importantly, the book illustrates US–China relations
and outlines how this relationship will intensify in the post-COVID-19 era,
which is poised to be one of the biggest challenges and turning points of the
‘Asian Century’.
Offering a timely insight into China’s future and the trajectory of Xi Jin-
ping’s consolidation of power, this book will be of interest to academics in
the fields of China Studies, Asian and International Politics and Interna-
tional Relations.
Arthur S. Ding is a Professor Emeritus of National Chenghi University
(NCCU), Taiwan, and an adjunct professor at NCCU and Taiwan’s Na-
tional Defense University.
Jagannath P. Panda is a Research Fellow and Centre Head for East Asia
at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses
(MP-IDSA), New Delhi, India. He is also the Series Editor of Routledge
Studies on Think Asia. His recent books include The Korean Peninsula and
Indo-Pacific Power Politics: Status Security at Stake (Routledge, 2020) and
India-China Relations: Politics of Resources, Identity and Authority in a
Multipolar World Order (Routledge, 2017).
Routledge Studies on Think Asia
Edited by Jagannath P. Panda, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence
Studies and Analyses, India
This series addresses the current strategic complexities of Asia and forecasts
how these current complexities will shape Asia’s future. Bringing together
empirical and conceptual analysis, the series examines critical aspects of
Asian politics, with a particular focus on the current security and strate-
gic complexities. The series includes academic studies from universities, re-
search institutes and think-tanks and policy oriented studies. Focusing on
security and strategic analysis on Asia’s current and future trajectory, this
series welcomes submissions on relationship patterns (bilateral, trilateral
and multilateral) in Indo-Pacific, regional and sub-regional institutions and
mechanisms, corridors and connectivity, maritime security, infrastructure
politics, trade and economic models and critical frontiers (boundaries, bor-
ders, bordering provinces) that are crucial to Asia’s future.
3 The Korean Peninsula and Indo-Pacific Power Politics
Status Security at Stake
Edited by Jagannath P. Panda
4 Conflict and Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific
New Geopolitical Realities
Edited by Ash Rossiter and Brendon J. Cannon
5 Chinese Politics and Foreign Policy under Xi Jinping
The Future Political Trajectory
Edited by Arthur S. Ding and Jagannath P. Panda
6 Identity, Culture, and Chinese Foreign Policy
THAAD and China’s South Korea Policy
Kangkyu Lee
URL: www.routledge.com/Routledge-Studies-on-Think-Asia/book-series/TA
Chinese Politics and Foreign
Policy under Xi Jinping
The Future Political Trajectory
Edited by
Arthur S. Ding and
Jagannath P. Panda
First published 2021
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2021 selection and editorial matter, Arthur S. Ding and Jagannath
P. Panda; individual chapters, the contributors
The right of Arthur S. Ding and Jagannath P. Panda to be identified
as the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for their
individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections
77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record has been requested for this book
ISBN: 978-0-367-47028-9 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-04148-1 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman
by codeMantra
Contents
List of figures ix
List of tables xi
List of contributors xiii
List of abbreviations xix
Preface xxv
Acknowledgements xxix
Introduction: Xi Jinping, the ‘Peking Order’ and China’s
post-COVID-19 political trajectory: a primer 1
JAGANNATH P. PANDA AND ARTHUR S. DING
PART I
Xi Jinping and communist party of China in retrospection 23
1 Xi Jinping restores the ideological imperative so as to boost
his own power 25
WILLY WO-LAP LAM
2 Xi Jinping’s reform and rejuvenation of the United Front
Work Department 47
DREW THOMPSON
3 Social governance in China under Xi Jinping: big brother is
watching you! 62
JEAN-PIERRE CABESTAN
4 The difficulty of being Xi Jinping 85
AVINASH A. GODBOLE
viii Contents
PART II
Xi Jinping’s social governance and China’s commercial
party-state affairs 103
5 State–business relations under Xi Jinping: steering the private
sector and private entrepreneurs 105
GUNTER SCHUBERT AND THOMAS HEBERER
6 The evolution of China’s industrial policy and ‘Made in China 2025’ 131
TOMOO MARUKAWA
7 Xi Jinping’s ‘China Dream’ and the future graph of Chinese economy 150
SRIPARNA PATHAK
8 Xi Jinping’s financial gamble: will it succeed? 172
PRIYANKA PANDIT
PART III
Xi Jinping and China’s security and foreign policy posturing 189
9 China’s foreign policy under Xi – reappraisal of China’s
partnership diplomacy 191
MENG-CHUN LIU, PO-KUAN WU AND
CHIA-HSUAN WU
10 Xi Jinping, the US–China rivalry and Beijing’s post-COVID
manoeuvres 212
JAGANNATH P. PANDA AND EERISHIKA PANKAJ
11 China–Southeast Asia relations in the era of Xi Jinping 235
IAN STOREY
12 Xi Jinping’s ‘Asia for Asians’, major power diplomacy and India 255
ATMAJA GOHAIN BARUAH
13 Xi Jinping’s PLA and China’s regional security ambitions 276
MRITTIKA GUHA SARKAR
Index 307
Figures
6.1 Market share of indigenous brand cars 138
6.2 The share of top 10 enterprises in total crude steel production 140
7.1 Chinese population living in poverty from 2012 to 2018
(unit: million) 153
7.2 Comparison of rural and urban household incomes in 2017
(unit: yuan) 157
7.3 Gross regional product, PRC, 2017 (unit: millions) 158
7.4 Percentage of people employed in various segments of
China’s economy, 2017 (unit: 10,000 persons) 161
7.5 Employment in manufacturing, construction, import-
export and wholesale, 2013–2017 (unit: 10,000 persons) 162
9.1 China’s strategic partners (number, by year) 193
9.2 Number of China’s partner countries in Asia (1996–2019) 195
9.3 Number of China’s partner countries in ASEAN (2004–2019) 195
9.4 Number of China’s partner countries in Latin America
(1993–2019) 196
9.5 Number of China’s partner countries in Africa (2000–2019) 197
9.6 Number of China’s partner countries in Europe (1994–2019) 199
13.1 Chinese vessel incursions in Japan’s contiguous zone or
territorial sea surrounding the Senkaku Islands 289