Protecting China's Interests Overseas

Abstract

Many countries in history have faced the problem of how to defend their interests overseas. China is not different. China’s Interest Frontiers: The Making of an International Strategy sheds light on the tortuous securitization process that pushed the Chinese foreign and security policy machine to evolve in order deal to the new threats to Chinese assets and nationals in the Middle East and North Africa. Based on a vast number of Chinese language sources, the analysis presented in the book finds that crises, especially the evacuation from Libya in 2011, deeply influenced how Chinese civilian and military elite think about the protection of the country’s interests overseas. Consistent with this development, the emphasis on ensuring that the People’s Liberation Army can play a larger role, along with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has become a crucial issue for Chinese policymakers. Yet, the presence of many bureaucratic actors, each with its own priorities and interests, was a challenge for the creation and implementation of a clear strategy. In the aftermath of the Arab Spring, it seems that the situation has been improving slowly but steadily, although some changes will take more time than others to be completed. Vis-à-vis an extremely complex challenge, China’s cautiously incremental approach to the use of its military has, so far, spared it from strategic overstretching. Yet, the reactive nature of its strategy makes it vulnerable to shocks. This is especially true as Chinese public opinion has become increasingly interested in how the country’s overseas interests are protected.