China diplomacy

Xi Jinping and his government have been remarkably vague regarding the international agenda China publicly promotes.

Few things illustrate the fragmentation of Chinese foreign policy better than the operation of the country's embassies overseas.

China sends Wang Wenbin, a former MFA spokesperson, to a strategically important Southeast Asian capital.

China has seen very few positive signs in its recent diplomatic engagements with the EU, and key EU members such as France and Germany.

The overarching goal of comprehensive diplomacy is to mobilize and coordinate various party-state agencies to advance China’s national strategic and diplomatic objectives.

Does China want to change the status quo in the Asia-Pacific? Is China using Europe as a bargaining chip with the United States? How did “wolf warrior” diplomacy come about?

Beijing’s biggest goal is shaping an international environment that is conducive to economic development.

China has long leaned into historical narratives in policymaking. Now Chinese officials are increasingly resorting to emphasizing the negative histories of their adversaries.

Nations – including China – hedge to secure their interests in an increasingly multipolar world.

Rhetorically, China is standing firm as the U.S. leads a hardening of policy toward Beijing. But its actions reveal a new willingness to compromise.

Taiwan’s election result points to a broader trend: China is failing to use soft power effectively, and paying the reputational price.

The late Henry Kissinger is perhaps the most famous holder of that title, but he is far from alone.

The BRF is no longer attracting new faces and expanding China’s influence, as it once did.

Insights from Chin-Hao Huang.

China’s shift toward coercive diplomacy has domestic sources that are important to consider, even as the government signals a new approach.

In the face of strong diplomatic headwinds, Xi seems to be deciding his time is better spent focused on shoring up regime security at home.

It's often argued that China's coercive tactics do not achieve results. But new data suggests that's only true for countries with a high GDP per capita.

In the past, Xi has used the BRICS summit as the basis for a wider regional tour. Not this year. 

From the outside, it may seem that most Chinese support Russia, but one eloquent post may speak for China’s “silent majority.”

Do China’s capacities match the long shadow it projects on the global community? And what are the risks that China is ready to take in its international endeavors?

Understanding the meaning of the dueling trips requires a closer look at the larger context of China and Japan’s recent international diplomatic efforts. 

The case of the Sino-Japanese thaw in 2018 shows how China pursues foreign policy flexibility through ties with foreign political parties, individual politicians, and business leaders.

Beijing prefers to lead from behind, engaging in “quasi-mediation” on diplomatic processes that are already in motion.

Chinese officials hate the term “wolf warrior diplomacy,” but it’s clear that the phenomenon, by whatever name, is here to stay.