Geopolitical and geoeconomic ambitions and “soft power” of China: comments on the discourse on the features of promotion and approval

Abstract

A look at the specifics of establishing China’s geoeconomic and geopolitical ambitions on the example of relations between Beijing and Washington, Beijing and Delhi, Beijing and Moscow and Beijing lower-level states (for instance, Pakistan). Particular attention is paid to the policy of “soft power” as an independent concept of China’s foreign policy and as part of a comprehensive policy to establish the geoeconomic and geopolitical doctrine of China in the future bipolar or multipolar world. The author’s approach is based on a combination of analytical and synthetic research methods. The model of cooperation between China and the IRP was chosen to illustrate the implementation of the ambitious project “One Belt, One Road” on the example of considering the functioning of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (synthetic research method). On the other hand, the emphasis is not only on geoeconomic, but also on the geopolitical perspectives of the global initiative “One Belt, One Road”, which is seen as an example of Beijing’s implementation of the concept of “soft power” (analytical research method). The author argues that the focus of research should not be solely on the Beijing-Washington confrontation, as it is likely that the confrontation between Beijing and Delhi will be deployed and intensified with the involvement of lower-level players such as Pakistan. The relationship between Beijing and Moscow is also special, the vectors of their deployment after February 24, 2022 have become more variable. The author substantiates the vision of the current collaboration between China and Russia as mutually beneficial in the short and medium term, but unpredictable given the strategic development goals of both countries. China’s latest strategy of geoeconomic and geopolitical progress toward world hegemony can be rightly compared to the great chess game in which Beijing seeks to be a conditional “older brother” more covertly and semi-covertly than by force.