Perception of a “Color Revolution” in China under the Xi Jinping Regime and National Security Implications—Close interconnection between domestic politics and diplomacy—

Abstract

The Xi Jinping regime in China has been implementing various policies that prioritize the concept of “national security,” and highlight concerns about the perceived threat of a Color Revolution. The concept of “national security” has been elevated to a policy philosophy of “holistic” or “comprehensive” security. This comprehensive security means that “security” is related to all areas, including the economy, culture, and the environment, and that security takes precedence over other factors such as the economy, culture, and the environment. Diplomacy is no exception, and the policy philosophy is to treat diplomacy and security together, where security takes precedence over diplomacy. The emphasis on the logic of national security also influenced its Hong Kong policy and its policy of governing the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Furthermore, it led to the strengthening of domestic management of foreigners and international NGOs. Moreover, this domestic logic of “national security” has had a strong influence on foreign policy. For example, the domestically propagated discourse on the “color revolution” directly influenced the US-China summit meeting, where the topic of discussion was whether the US was planning to overthrow the CCP regime or not. In China, diplomacy and domestic politics appear to be rapidly becoming one and the same.