China’s Modern Economic Statecraft: A Wealth-Power Dialectic

This compelling exploration delves into President Xi Jinping’s ambitious efforts to restore China to its historical role as a global leader through innovative economic means. Bridging the philosophies of Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, Xi’s approach is a unique synthesis of Marxist-Developmentalist ideas, aiming to convert China’s accumulated national wealth into great power status.

At the heart of this narrative is a wealth-power dialectic, shaping the performance and challenges of China’s modern economic statecraft. The book chronicles the optimism of Xi’s first term, the overreach and subsequent retrenchment of his second, all set against the backdrop of a slowing domestic economy and intensifying strategic competition with the United States. Despite these hurdles, the Chinese government continues to expand its arsenal of economic tools and initiatives, showcasing resilience and adaptability.

This book offers an insightful look into how Xi Jinping’s tenure might be remembered as a pinnacle in China’s Marxist-Developmentalist economic history. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the intricate strategies behind China’s quest for global preeminence.

The Open Access version of this book, available at http: //www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons [Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND)] 4.0 license.

Zhang Xiaotong is a professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations, and Director of the China and Central Asia Studies Center at KIMEP University, Kazakhstan. He obtained his PhD in political science from the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) in Belgium.