Chinese Politics Mini-Conference: China’s Role in International Relations and Its Worldwide Impacts

Session Submission Type: Created Panel

Part of Mini-Conference

• Chinese Politics Mini-Conference

Session Description

This panel presents a comprehensive examination of China’s growing influence, both within its borders and globally, through a series of in-depth studies. The first paper, by Kerry Ratigan, David Bulman, and Ning Leng, explores the “China Factor” in global South politics. Their research delves into public perceptions of China in middle-income democracies and the influence of these perceptions on political candidate support. Through extensive surveys across South America and Southeast Asia, the study seeks to understand the complexities of the “China model” and its impact on electoral politics. Similarly, Selina Ho and Xue Gong investigate the implications of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Southeast Asia. Their focus on Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in the Mekong region highlights the dual nature of China’s overseas engagement—promoting development while also being associated with transnational criminal activities, thus presenting a nuanced view of Beijing’s international strategies.

The second part of the panel shifts focus to internal Chinese dynamics and their outward implications. Elizabeth Plantan and Diana Fu examine the responses of Chinese civil society to increasingly stringent governmental restrictions, exploring how these limitations have led to new forms of activism abroad. Shuyuan Shen’s work offers a unique perspective on the strategic use of international news in Chinese state media as a tool for maintaining domestic legitimacy. Lastly, Min Ye, Zeying Wu, and Jiaqi Wang analyze the green transition in China’s BRI, looking at domestic drivers and their geopolitical ramifications, particularly in the context of the electric vehicle industry. Together, these papers provide a diverse and insightful look into China’s complex roles and strategies as a major global actor, blending domestic policies, international relations, and economic ambitions to shape the geopolitical landscape of the 21st century.

Sub Unit

• Division 13: Politics of Communist and Former Communist Countries

Individual Presentations

• Voter Perceptions and Candidate Support in Middle-Income Democracies - Kerry Ratigan, Amherst College; David Janoff Bulman, Johns Hopkins University; Ning Leng, Georgetown University

• Special Economic Zones in the China-Southeast Asia Borderlands - Selina Ho, National University of Singapore; Xue Gong, Nanyang Technological University

• How China’s Restrictions on Civil Society Create Spaces for Activism Abroad - Elizabeth Plantan, Stetson University; Diana Fu, University of Toronto

• “Whatabout” Legitimacy: International News as Distraction in China - Shuyuan Shen, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Domestic Sources of the Green Belt and Road and Its Geopolitical Implications - Min Ye, Boston University; Zeying Wu, Lingnan University; Jiaqi Wang, UNC

Chair

• Frances Yaping Wang Colgate University

Discussant

• Ketian Zhang George Mason University