The ideas of (Neo)Realism best explain the domestic and international Chinese actions under Xi Jinping’s presidency from 2012 to 2022 based on the article “China’s Decade under Xi Jinping Explained in Seven Charts”. The increase in GDP and particularly military capability resonates with Realism’s fundamentals of states acting selfishly and seeking to amass power to prevent vulnerability in the anarchic system – China’s defence Budget has more than doubled to $208 billion by 2021 (Davidson, 2022). Regarding Neorealism, gaining power and national interest are the dominant factors shaping the global politics (Trifunović & Ćurčić, 2021). It also aims to distinguish between the external and internal structures of the international political system (Alhammadi, 2021). Internally, the Xi Jinping regime’s increased personalization of power, suppression of dissent, and anti-corruption campaigns align with the Realist notion of strengthening the state’s authority. Externally, China’s ‘regional expansionism and aggression’ described in the article (Davidson, 2022), like its stand on Taiwan or military assertiveness in the South China Sea, is realistic in exerting power and influence in the sphere to gain relative gain.
How the international System should respond to China’s rising power is to uphold tenets of Liberalism. This system is based on norms and principles relating to world security, economics, and politics (Cimmino, 2021). China should be encouraged through diplomacy; thus, power may deter it through multilateral relations anchored on free trade, economic integration, and security. Expressing democratic values and human rights and supporting the freedom of the press within China can also foster liberalism. Nonetheless, a security side of balancing and deterrence based on Realist assumptions may also be of greater importance, for example, strengthening regional ties and military capabilities to ensure that China curtails its bid for regional domination.
References
Alhammadi, A. (2021). The neorealism and neoliberalism behind international relations during covid‐19. World Affairs, 185(1), 147-175. https://doi.org/10.1177/00438200211065128
Cimmino, J. (2021, July 13). Strategic context: The rules-based international system. Atlantic Council. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/content-series/atlantic-council-strategy-paper-series/strategic-context-the-rules-based-international-system/
Davidson, H. (2022, October 19). China’s decade under Xi Jinping explained in seven charts. the Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/20/chinas-decade-under-xi-jinping-explained-in-seven-charts
Trifunović, D., & Ćurčić, M. (2021). National interest in security science. National security and the future, 22(3), 73-88. https://doi.org/10.37458/nstf.22.3.3
