China's Evolving Economic Statecraft Toolkit

China's growing use of economic power for strategic and political purposes has become one of the defining features of international competition. Beijing is no longer simply using trade and investment to promote economic growth—it is increasingly deploying a sophisticated toolkit of laws, regulations, export controls, market access, infrastructure investment, and technological standards to advance its broader geopolitical objectives.  

In today's episode, we'll explore how China's approach to economic statecraft has evolved, how effective it has been, its impact on Chinese foreign policy – especially relations with the United States -- and what governments around the world can do in response. I'm delighted to be joined by Dr. Evan Medeiros, one of the leading experts on Chinese foreign policy, including its use of economic statecraft, to help us unpack these important issues.

Dr. Medeiros is the Penner Family Chair in Asia Studies in the School of Foreign Service and the Cling Family Distinguished Fellow in US-China Studies at Georgetown University. He served seven years in President Obama’s NSC first as director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia, and then as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Asia.

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction
[01:49] What is Chinese Economic Statecraft?
[04:52] How Chinese Leaders Think About Economic Power and Political Influence
[06:43] The Evolution of China’s Economic Statecraft Toolkit
[09:49] Chinese Market Accessibility as Statecraft
[14:07] Institutionalizing Economic Statecraft
[17:37] How Legal Bodies are Implemented
[23:32] Implications for the US-China Relationship
[25:36] Strengthening US Economic Statecraft