Jan 25, 2015 - Augustine, John Milton, Alexis de Tocqueville, Richard Cobden, Harold Lasswell, ...... Norrin M. Ripsman, and Jeffrey W. Taliaferro, 1â41.
The People’s Republic of China Leadership Transition and its External Relations: Still Searching for Definitive Answers Jean-Marc F. Blanchard
Journal of Chinese Political Science ISSN 1080-6954 Volume 20 Number 1 J OF CHIN POLIT SCI (2015) 20:1-16 DOI 10.1007/s11366-014-9324-0
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Author's personal copy J OF CHIN POLIT SCI (2015) 20:1–16 DOI 10.1007/s11366-014-9324-0 R E S E A R C H A RT I C L E
The People’s Republic of China Leadership Transition and its External Relations: Still Searching for Definitive Answers Jean-Marc F. Blanchard
Published online: 25 January 2015 # Journal of Chinese Political Science/Association of Chinese Political Studies 2015
Abstract This article constitutes the introduction to this special issue. It critically reviews the literature on leaders and foreign policy and considers the possibility that leaders might matter more in the case of Chinese foreign policy. In addition, it examines some of the, often erroneous, judgments that have been made about the power of Chinese policymakers, focusing on uncertainties relating to the power of Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose actual power continues to be a subject of considerable debate. Furthermore, it recommends some metrics that might be used to more systematically evaluate the power of Chinese elites. Beyond this, it summarizes the articles in the special issue and what they say about the issue of China’s leadership transition and Chinese foreign policy. It concludes with some theoretical and policy conclusions and identifies some avenues for further research. Keywords 18th Party Congress . Xi Jinping . Chinese Foreign Policy . China’s Leadership Transition . South China Sea
Introduction In November 2012, China unveiled its new leadership at the 18th Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Congress. It named Xi Jinping as CCP General Secretary and head of the Central Military Commission (CMC) and introduced the other six members of the Politburo Standing Committee (PSC). Of course, the notion of an unveiling was a misnomer since it was clear several years before that Xi would take the reins of power The views in this paper are my own and not those of any institution with which I am affiliated. The author would like to thank the Mr. & Mrs. S.H. Wong Foundation for providing the research funding that made this special issue possible. He also would like to thank the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Chinese Political Science for supporting this special issue. J.
