Xi Jinping’s Authoritarianism, Chinese Foreign Policy and India

April 12, 2019

Research Fellow, IDSA, Dr Jagannath Panda’s co-authored article on Chinese Foreign Policy, titled ‘Xi Jinping’s Authoritarianism, Chinese Foreign Policy and India’ has been published in Megatrend Review (Megatrend revija) vol.16, No. 1, 2019.

The article argues that Chinese President Xi Jinping has placed great emphasis on power consolidation, focusing on domestic restructuring to enhance the centrality of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its ideology. This has compelled political pundits to mull over the bearing of a strong authoritarian Chinese regime on Xi Jinping’s foreign policy. China is already casting strong regional maritime advances and leveraging its economic might over its continental periphery.

In this regard, tensions are rising in the Indo-Pacific region with countries like India and Japan coalescing to balance China’s assertiveness. Nonetheless, the new security architecture of Asia demands balanced strategic maneuvering, exemplified by China and India pushing their bilateral ties forward while striking new deals with other like-minded countries.