Introducing Chinese Foreign Policy: A Guide to the Literature

The analysis of Chinese foreign policy presents itself as a challenging but necessary field. The complexities of its political system and the lack of official information about its processes are usually stated as reasons for apprehension about the exploration of the topic and any conclusions drawn. New narratives of China’s peaceful or threatening rise, the possibilities of a “Second Cold” War and Thucydides’ Trap further complicate its exploration by the inclusion of political considerations. Notwithstanding these considerations, since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China scholars have examined a wide range of alternatives to the understanding of Chinese foreign policy rationale. After a brief overview of historical perspectives, this paper categorizes and presents different entry points in the English literature to study Chinese foreign policy. Its objective, hence, is to introduce different perspectives to disentangle the topic, serving as an initial reading.