China's International Relations

China's ongoing strategic trade expansion is catalyzing the growth of emerging markets around the world (1), and has given rise to a surge in foreign investment inflows, suggesting strong international trade links and successful efforts to cultivate universal investors and play a central role in global value chains (2). Talks with Iran over their mutual opposition to US unilateralism set a roadmap for collaboration on various aspects ranging from multi-billion dollar Chinese investments to protecting the nuclear arms deal (3).

However, western trust in post-Covid China has sunk significantly (4), as concerns over China's leadership role ambitions have been heightened by its own actions such as the revelation of China's reeducation camps and its handling of the Hong Kong protests (5). China has undermined trust with its friends and neighbours, with Russia becoming wary of its growing influence in former Soviet republics (6) and tensions with India growing after the annexation of territory (7), causing feelings of distrust towards Chinese expansionism (8) and territorial arrogance (9). Beijing has also received backlash for its attempt at controlling international media outlets, with its tired rhetoric of demanding Taiwan be not-a-country (10) escalating into the threats of military intervention (11).

Relations with Australia continue to deteriorate with China calling for war-crime inquiries (12), aggressive business tactics (13), and sanctioning Australian commodities exports (14) including wine (15) and coal (16), as China makes an example of Australia to those who would defy it (17). Australia has turned to military pacts with Japan to counter the Chinese trade war tactics (18).

The SCO has showed signs of stagnation with political disagreements adding friction, as member states are preoccupied with their own economic recovery and have been unable to develop or follow through with common approaches (19), while the BRI has run into financial difficulty in Pakistan (20).

China has earned the title of "most ironic", as the country which continues to terrorize its ethnic minorities questioned, at a UN human rights council, what measures America has taken to eliminate racism, discrimination, religious intolerance, and xenophobia (21).

China continues to adapt its economic strategies to the evolving geopolitical climate. Some experts are anticipating an accelerated internationalization of the renminbi as China opens its markets further to outside investors. China's growth projection remains positive as the PBOC aspires to carefully balanced monetary policies (22), creating a divergence with the other major economies, and impacting the recovery of Asian economies (23).

China is pushing forward with their hydrogen fuel technology despite skepticism regarding the cost-effectiveness (24), having also powered up its nuclear fusion reactor which, if mastered, may provide nearly unlimited clean energy (25).

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References

1. China's Investment in Developing Economies

2. China reports surge in long-term investment inflows despite talk of decoupling from US

3. "Fruchtbare Gespräche über strategische Partnerschaft": Iranischer Außenminister zu Gast in China

4. Head Of World's Largest Sovereign Wealth Fund Forced Out Because His Wife Is Chinese

5. Why China’s dreams of global leadership are fading fast

6. China's friends are few and unreliable

7. China has annexed 150 hectares of Nepal: Report

8. Neighbours would trust India, not China: Nitin Gadkari

9. Japanese fishing boats told to look elsewhere for catch as Chinese ships take over traditional grounds

10. China warns Indian media not to call Taiwan a country. Internet reacts by calling it a country

11. China’s Insistence That Taiwan Isn’t a Country Starts Backfiring

12. China’s image of an Aussie soldier slitting a child’s throat was BRUTAL, but why shouldn’t Beijing highlight Western war crimes?

13. Chinese Company That Bought Australian Island Reportedly Squeezing Residents Out

14. China-Australia relations: import ban on Australian copper, sugar expected after blocks on lobster, timber, barley

15. "Australia Is On Its Own": China Will Keep 200% Tariffs On Aussie Wines For 4-6 Months

16. China’s ban on Australian coal causes surge in imports from Mongolia, but difficulties remain

17. What’s behind China’s bullying of Australia? It sees a soft target — and an essential one

18. Australia To Sign Military Pact With US Ally Japan Amid Spiraling China Tensions

19. Shanghai Cooperation Organization Enters Period of Stagnation

20. Pakistan Belt and Road railway hits snag as China nixes low rate

21. U.N.'s Human Rights Council by Cuba, Belarus, North Korea, Syria, Iran, China & other champions of human rights

22. Assessing China’s “Structural” Monetary Policy

23. China’s Central Bank Going It Alone Spurs an Influx of Capital

24. China Defies Elon Musk’s Warnings and Pushes Ahead With Hydrogen

25. China aktiviert nuklearbetriebene "künstliche Sonne" – zehnmal heißer als die echte