New Trends in Chinese Foreign Policy

Abstract

This special issue attempts to examine some of the major new developments in China’s international relations since the 18th Party Congress in 2012. We suggest that new nuanced patterns in Chinese foreign policy have emerged. These include but are not limited to: subtle shifts in Beijing’s strategic thinking; an omni-directional peripheral policy that is increasingly “rebalancing” westwards; an evolving and more “flexible” brand of Chinese foreign policy assertiveness; a more sophisticated approach towards the handling of its maritime disputes; and new attitudes and ideas towards global governance.