Chinese Economic Statecraft: Commercial Actors, Grand Strategy, and State Control

摘要

Economic statecraft is one of the most tangible and intriguing aspects of China's foreign policy, and Beijing has employed economic instruments to enhance its political and strategic interests abroad for many years. These fundamentals have not changed. What have changed in recent years, especially after the global financial crisis in 2008, are China's capacities and the new tools Beijing is using to advance its foreign policy agenda. In addition, China is getting better at harnessing all of the instruments in its arsenal to achieve its ends. With rising confidence and sophistication, Beijing has used its increasing economic clout to advance its strategic interests throughout the world. Yet, relendess growth in China's military spending and the assertiveness of its foreign policy have led many pundits to focus almost exclusively on political and military aspects of the Chinese grand strategy.