Domestic Stability and Economic Growth: China’s Foreign Policy Under Xi Jinping’s Administration (2013-2022)

Abstract

This article aims to examine the role of domestic stability and economic growth in China’s foreign policy under Xi Jinping’s administration, from March 2013 to July 2022. I argue that one of the most relevant goals of China’s foreign policy is to preserve domestic stability and economic growth, which are necessary for the survival of one-party rule. China may be best seen as a responsible reformer that tries to facilitate for permanent regional and global cooperation, but at the same time brings alternatives to the liberal international order. The main foreign policy strategy is to capitalize on Chinese economic power to strengthen China’s political and military influence in regional and global affairs.