The arctic and Africa in China’s foreign policy: how different are they and what does this tell us?

Pursiainen, Christer, Alden, Chris and Bertelsen, Rasmus (2021) The arctic and Africa in China’s foreign policy: how different are they and what does this tell us? Arctic Review on Law and Politics, 12. pp. 31-55. ISSN 2387-4562

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Abstract

The article discusses China’s policies in and towards the Arctic and Africa within a comparative perspective. To what extent is China’s policy adaptable to different conditions? What does this adaptability tell us about China’s ascendant great-power role in the world in general? What is the message to the Arctic and Africa respectively? The article concludes that China’s regional strategies aptly reflect the overall grand strategy of a country that is slowly but surely aiming at taking on the role of leading global superpower. In doing so, Chinese foreign policy has demonstrated flexibility and adaptive tactics, through a careful tailoring of its so-called core interests and foreign policy principles, and even identity politics, to regional conditions. This implies that regions seeking autonomy in the context of great power activism and contestation should develop their own strategies not only for benefiting from Chinese investment but also in terms of managing dependency on China and in relation to China and great power competition.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	https://arcticreview.no/index.php/arctic/index
Additional Information:	© 2021 The Authors
Divisions:	International Relations
Subjects:	J Political Science > JZ International relations G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences
Date Deposited:	22 Apr 2022 15:42
Last Modified:	17 Apr 2024 21:57
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/114934

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