China's Foreign Policy Contradictions: Lessons from China's R2P, Hong Kong, and WTO Policy

Throughout the post-Mao reform era, China has championed the principle of sovereign state control, which holds that states should not intervene in the affairs of other states. Yet as Tim Nicholas Rühlig argues in China's Foreign Policy Contradictions, in recent years they have not actually acted this way. Chinese foreign policy actions fail to match up with official rhetoric, and these inconsistencies—in combination with China's growing power-will have dramatic effects on the future shape of international order. To explain these contradictions, Rühlig draws from a rich battery of in-depth interviews with party-state officials to explain the foreign policy dynamics and processes of the normally opaque Chinese party-state. He demonstrates how different sources of the Chinese Communist Party's domestic legitimacy compete within the complex and highly fragmented Chinese party-state, resulting in contradictory foreign policies. He focuses on three issue areas: international human rights law and "responsibility to protect" (R2P); China's role in World Trade Organization (WTO) policymaking; and China's evolving relationship with Hong Kong. In each area, different factions within the party-state wrestle for control, with domestic legitimacy of the party always being the overriding goal. This incessant competition within the state's institutions often makes the PRC's foreign policy contradictory, undermining its ability to project and promote a "China Model" as an alternative to the existing international order (and more specifically as a champion of nonintervention). Instead, it often pursues narrowly nationalistic interests. By elucidating how foreign policymakers strategize and react within the context of a massive and complex bureaucratic system that is constantly under pressure from many sides, Rühlig shows not only why China's foreign policy is so inconsistent, but why it is likely to contribute to a more particularistic, plural, and fragmented international order in the years to come. This book represents a significant advance in our understanding of the foreign policymaking process in authoritarian regimes.

Table of Contents:
I. Introduction I.1 Why bother about Chinese foreign policy contradictions? I.2 Rule monopolist vs. rule manager: China and the transformation of the state I.3 Towards an anthropology of China's foreign policymaking I.4 The four main contributions of this book I.5 Outline of the book II. Unpacking the Chinese party-state II. 1 State image and state transformation in "New China" II.1.1 China's party-state as a rule monopolist II.1.2 China's party-state as a rule manager II.2 The contested approach to the role of the state and China's contradictory foreign policy III. Chinese approaches to international security: the Responsibility to Protect III.1 China's contradictory R2P policy III.1.1 China's approach to the R2P in Libya III.1.2 China's approach to the R2P in Syria III. 2 Understanding China's contradictory R2P policy III.2.1 The implications of trade-offs in the CCP's legitimization for China's R2P policy III.2.2 China's R2P policy: decision-making and institutions III.3 Implications of China's contradictory R2P policy for the international order III.4 Summary of findings IV. Chinese approaches to rule: One Country, Two Systems in Hong Kong IV.1 China's contradictory Hong Kong policy IV.1.1 China's approach to national security under article 23 of the Basic Law IV.1.2 China's approach to electoral reform under article 45 of the Basic Law IV.2 Understanding China's contradictory Hong Kong policy IV.2.1 The implications of trade-offs in the CCP's legitimization for China's Hong Kong policy IV.2.2 The implications of the party-state's structure for China's Hong Kong policy IV.3 Implications of China's contradictory Hong Kong policy for the international order IV.4 Summary of findings V. Chinese approaches to welfare: the implementation of WTO law V.1 China's contradictory WTO policy V.1.1 China's approach to the DSB V.1.2 China's approach to WTO law in the banking sector V.2 Understanding China's contradictory WTO policy V.2.1 The implications of trade-offs in the CCP's legitimization for China's WTO policy V.2.2 The implications of the party-state's structure for China's WTO policy V.3 Implications of China's contradictory WTO policy for the international order V.4 Summary of findings VI. Conclusions VI.1 China's foreign policy contradictions and the future international order VI.2 Contributions to existing research VI.3 Implications for policymakers and practitioners References Notes