Chinese Foreign Policy

Thursday, Feb 17, 2022

1:30pm - 3:00pm

Lecture by:
Dr. Kevin Cai

Chinese foreign policy is influenced and shaped by a number of factors, including its geographical and geopolitical environment, power (physical, economic and military), philosophical traditions, historical experience, communist ideology, national interests as identified by the Chinese leaders, and the personality traits and leadership styles of individual communist leaders. All these factors play different roles in influencing and shaping Chinese foreign policy. Based on their different impacts on Chinese foreign policy, the factors identified above can be put into two categories, conditioning and determining. While conditioning factors provide physical conditions, power foundation and parameters, and the historical, philosophical and ideological sources of Chinese foreign policy, determining factors directly set the direction and specific objectives of Chinese foreign policy and the ways in which the nation’s foreign policy objectives are to be achieved. The Chinese foreign policy since 1949 can well be explained by looking at these factors.

About The Lecturer

Dr. Kevin Cai

Dr. Kevin G. Cai is associate professor of political science and East Asian studies at Renison University College of University of Waterloo. His research interests include regional integration and institution-building in East Asia, China’s foreign relations and foreign policy, cross-Taiwan Straits relations, and various political, security and economic issues in the East Asian region. Dr. Cai has published five books and a large number of refereed journal articles, book chapters and other pieces, including his most recent book, The Chinese Foreign Policy since 1949: Continuity and Change (Routledge, 2022) (https://www.routledge.com/Chinas-Foreign-Policy-since-1949- Continuity-and-Change/Cai/p/book/9780367203290)