How does China plan to reclaim its perceived sovereign territory?

China aims to reclaim territories considered its core interests, such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, and areas in the South China Sea. This also extends to claims over islands like the Senkaku Islands and border disputes with countries like India.

What is the Belt and Road Initiative and how has it evolved?

The Belt and Road Initiative began as a hard infrastructure and connectivity effort but has expanded to include digital, health, green, and polar Silk Roads. It's a vehicle for exporting Chinese technology, values, and its development model, complete with its strengths and weaknesses.

How does China use economic leverage to influence other countries?

China leverages its market access to both induce and coerce. Inducements include establishing Confucius Institutes for cultural exchange. Coercion involves threats of losing market access if countries do not align with China's political stances on issues like Taiwan or criticize its policies.

What is China's strategy to become more economically self-sufficient?

Through initiatives like 'Made in China 2025' and the 'Dual Circulation Theory,' China aims to dominate critical technology manufacturing domestically and to foster internal innovation, production, and consumption. However, it also encourages multinationals to maintain supply chains in China for political leverage.

How is China attempting to influence global governance institutions?

China is working to embed its values and norms within international organizations like the UN. It uses its influence to prioritize initiatives like the Belt and Road, block criticism on human rights issues, and shape technical standards, often using coercive tactics and leveraging diplomatic positions to serve national interests.

What is the significance of China's activity in technical standard-setting?

As new technologies emerge, China is actively participating in setting technical standards. While not always succeeding in getting its technologies adopted, its methods—flooding committees with proposals and voting as a block—undermine the governance process and waste participants' time.

Chapter 1: China’s Global Ambition and the US Response with Elizabeth Economy | LFHSPBC

Hoover Institution

Education3 min read24 min video

Jan 17, 2023|38,899 views|59|6

Hoover Institution Hoover Institute Hoover Elizabeth Economy Military War Strategy Xi Jinping National security China Superpower

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Key Moments

TL;DR

Xi Jinping aims to transform the global order, challenging US dominance and exporting China's model.

Key Insights

Xi Jinping's ambition is not to reform, but to transform the international system and reorder the world.

China seeks to redraw its geographic boundaries, reclaim 'sovereign' territories like Taiwan, and assert dominance in the Asia-Pacific.

The Belt and Road Initiative has evolved into a multifaceted global strategy, encompassing digital, health, green, and polar dimensions, with a growing military and political component.

China actively exports its values and norms, including internet governance and censorship techniques, through training programs and initiatives like Confucius Institutes.

The 'Made in China 2025' initiative and 'dual circulation' theory signal China's goal of economic self-sufficiency while leveraging global dependence.

China is increasingly influential in reforming global governance systems, embedding its values and priorities within international organizations like the UN, and shaping technical standards.

REDEFINING CHINA'S PLACE IN THE WORLD

Elizabeth Economy outlines Xi Jinping's overarching goal: to transform the existing international system rather than merely reform it. This ambition extends beyond incremental changes, aiming for a fundamental reordering of the global order. Xi's vision, encapsulated by the 'great rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation,' seeks to reclaim centrality for China on the world stage after a decade of his leadership. This transformative agenda is driven by a desire to reshape geopolitical, economic, and strategic landscapes, moving China from a regional player to a dominant global force.

REDRAWING GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES AND REGIONAL DOMINANCE

A primary objective for Xi Jinping is to redraw China's perceived geographic boundaries, reclaiming territories considered its sovereign land. This includes pressing issues like Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the South China Sea, often referred to as China's core interests. Beyond these, China asserts claims over territories administered by Japan (Senkaku Islands) and disputes borders with India and territorial waters in Southeast Asia. Concurrently, China aims to displace the United States as the dominant power in the Asia Pacific, advocating for regional governance by Asians and embedding itself in regional economic and security institutions.

THE EVOLVING BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), launched in 2013, has evolved significantly beyond its initial focus on hard infrastructure and connectivity. It now encompasses a 'Digital Silk Road' (e-payment, satellite systems), a 'Health Silk Road' (promoting traditional Chinese medicine), a 'Green Silk Road' (exporting environmental technologies), and a 'Polar Silk Road' (Arctic connectivity). The BRI also includes a military dimension, with China establishing its first overseas military logistics base in Djibouti and planning others, signaling a fundamental shift in its military doctrine and global reach.

EXPORTING CHINESE VALUES AND DEVELOPMENT MODELS

China is actively exporting its values, norms, and governance models alongside its economic initiatives. Through training programs in cybersecurity, internet censorship, and political party development, China offers alternatives to liberal democracy. The BRI itself functions as an export of China's development model, characterized by infrastructure-led growth, significant debt accumulation, environmental considerations, and labor practices. This export of a distinct model aims to influence how other nations develop and govern themselves.

ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY AND GLOBAL LEVERAGE

Initiatives like 'Made in China 2025' and the 'dual circulation' theory underscore China's drive for economic self-sufficiency, particularly in critical technology sectors. The goal is to dominate manufacturing and innovation within China while reducing reliance on foreign components. Simultaneously, China aims to enhance the global economy's dependence on it, encouraging multinational corporations to maintain supply chains in China, thereby securing political leverage. This dual strategy seeks to insulate China's economy while maximizing its influence.

RESHAPING GLOBAL GOVERNANCE AND TECHNICAL STANDARDS

Xi Jinping's vision includes leading the reform of the global governance system to embed Chinese values and norms within international institutions like the UN. China has successfully integrated the BRI into UN agency programs and used coercion to influence resolutions. It actively promotes its candidates for positions within UN agencies and shapes discourse on human rights and internet governance. Furthermore, China is significantly influencing technical standard-setting, flooding committees with proposals and using bloc voting to advance its technological interests and norms globally.

Mentioned in This Episode

●Companies

●Organizations

●Concepts

●People Referenced

Common Questions

Xi Jinping's ambitions are to transform, not just reform, the international system and reorder the world. This includes redrawing geographic boundaries, challenging US dominance in the Asia-Pacific, reshaping the global geopolitical and strategic landscape, insulating the Chinese economy, and leading reforms in global governance.

Topics

China's Global Ambitions World Order South China Sea BRI Digital Silk Road Technical Standards Territorial Claims

Mentioned in this video

conceptBhutan

A country where China claims territory, indicating the scope of its territorial ambitions extends beyond widely recognized disputed areas.

organizationInterpol

An international police organization that has included protecting Belt and Road projects as a priority in its documents, showing China's influence within global bodies.

organizationConfucius Institutes

Chinese language and cultural training centers established globally, used by China to spread cultural affinity and its perspective on critical issues.

organizationNBA

The National Basketball Association, which faced punishment from Beijing after a Houston Rockets general manager tweeted in support of Hong Kong, demonstrating China's control over international discourse.

conceptDual Circulation Theory

Announced by Xi Jinping in 2020, this theory emphasizes innovation, manufacturing, and consumption within China, while still engaging with the global economy, aiming for greater self-sufficiency.

personUyghur activists

Activists targeted by China, often blocked from speaking at UN bodies, illustrating China's efforts to suppress criticism and advance its domestic interests in international forums.

conceptComprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership

A trade agreement that China has bid to join, highlighting its efforts to embed itself in regional economic institutions and potentially influence trade dynamics.

conceptDjibouti

Location of China's first overseas military logistics base, a significant departure from its historical stance and indicative of expanding military reach.

conceptTanzania

One of the countries hosting a Chinese training center for officials from six African nations, focusing on areas like internet governance and political party development.

organizationUnited Nations

An international organization where China seeks to embed its values and norms, influence human rights discussions, internet governance, and technology standards. It has successfully integrated the Belt and Road Initiative into many UN programs.

conceptXinjiang

The region where China is accused of detaining over a million Uyghur Muslims in labor and re-education camps, a topic that allies attempt to censure China for at the UN.

conceptSenkaku Islands

Territory administered by Japan that China also claims, illustrating broader territorial ambitions beyond its immediate core interests.

locationTaiwan

locationSouth China Sea

locationHong Kong