Diplomatic Interactions

Diplomatic Interactions

Analyzing China's National Power Strategy through Regional and International Institutions

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Farzad Rostami 1
Maryam Azadbakht 2
1 Associate Professor, Department of Political Sciences & International Relations, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.
2 M.A., Department of Political Sciences & International Relations, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.
10.22034/dpiq.2025.492957.1015
Abstract
Problem Statement
Since the beginning of the twentieth century, institution-building has increasingly been recognized as a vital means of addressing international challenges. The formation of the League of Nations marked an early manifestation of this realization. Although the League ultimately failed and World War II broke out, these setbacks did not extinguish the ideal of international organization. On the contrary, they laid the groundwork for the emergence of stronger and more ambitious international institutions. Gradually, more states came to view the creation of international mechanisms to manage shared interests as both practical and beneficial. In its trajectory of development and rise, China has not only shown consistent interest in participating in international organizations but has approached them with a calculated and strategic mindset. As part of its broader foreign policy, China has pursued de-escalation and engagement to expand its national power, particularly through the use of soft power tools. This research seeks to explore the role of international institutions in China's national power strategy. The central hypothesis posits that China, to enhance its economic influence and counterbalance American unilateralism, has embraced both the normalization of existing institutions and the creation of new ones. These institutions—whether inherited or initiated by China—are believed to contribute significantly to the expansion of China's national power and its strengthening international position.
Research background
Terry Flew (2016) examined China's national power through the lens of international media, arguing that soft power has played an increasingly influential role in recent years. According to Flew, China has strategically leveraged soft power to support the global expansion of China Central Television (CCTV) and the growth of its entertainment media industry. He asserts that China is a key site for the application of soft power, which it employs to advance its international objectives.
 
Similarly, Rosalie L. Tung (2016), in her article "Opportunities and Challenges Facing China’s New Normal," explored the dynamics of China's evolving economic landscape and its implications for multinational corporations and foreign investment. She identifies regional economic integration, substantial financial reserves for development, and other factors as major opportunities for China. At the same time, she highlights serious challenges, including an aging population, corruption, and rising income inequality. Tung predicts that by 2030, China may surpass Japan to become the second-largest capital market in the world.
Research objective
The purpose of this study is to examine the role of international institutions within China's national power strategy. As China emerges as one of the most significant rising powers—often characterized as a "revisionist" actor dissatisfied with the current international distribution of power and possessing both the capability and the ambition to reshape the existing order and construct a new one—it becomes essential to analyze how it engages with international institutions as part of this broader strategic objective.
Research Method
This study employs the theoretical framework of soft power to examine the role of regional and international institutions in China's national power strategy. Given that the analysis of the collected data is grounded in this theoretical approach, the research adopts a descriptive-analytical methodology.
Report of Research Findings
China’s contemporary foreign policy regards international organizations as a new source of power in the global arena—platforms through which it can pursue and secure its national interests. From Beijing’s perspective, such institutions help minimize conflicts between states, as they are products of intersubjective understanding and contribute to the convergence of expectations among actors within specific regions or issue areas. China seeks to shape a new international environment that aligns more closely with its strategic preferences. To achieve this, Beijing has adopted a dual-track approach: on the one hand, by creating new institutions, and on the other, by actively participating in existing international organizations such as the World Bank, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This aspiration to enhance China’s global standing has led to the integration of regional institution-building into its foreign policy agenda. These institutions and initiatives serve as tools to advance China’s political, economic, and cultural interests; increase its influence among member states; bolster its regional leadership; and potentially position China as a global leader. Moreover, they may empower Beijing to promote reform within existing multilateral institutions. International institutions are thus seen as critical mechanisms for integrating Chinese society with the broader international community. From this perspective, China’s growing involvement in diverse institutional frameworks facilitates its alignment and coordination with global norms and systems. For Chinese leaders—particularly Deng Xiaoping and his successors—active participation in international organizations has been a central component of the country’s development trajectory and a means of reshaping its role in the international order.
Conclusion
Since the 1970s, China has been on a sustained path of economic growth and development. By pursuing policies of desensitization, de-escalation, and opening up to the world, Beijing has aimed to promote multilateralism and forge alliances and partnerships with other countries to soften global perceptions of China. In this context, it has actively sought various means of enhancing its national power through the strategic use of soft power, diplomacy, and bargaining. Institution-building and institutionalization have played a key role in this strategy, enabling China to access global financial and technological resources to support the development of its economy. Consequently, China's foreign policy views international institutions as a new and important source of power—mechanisms that can advance national interests, elevate China's international standing, confer legitimacy, and expand its global influence.
Keywords
Soft power
International institutions
Chinese national power
De-escalation foreign policy
Chinese de-escalation

Subjects

 
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Diplomatic Interactions
Volume 2, Issue 7
Autumn 2024
Pages 133-182