Xi Jinping is Embracing a New Role for China in the World

My guest today, Elizabeth Economy, is the author of the new book The Third Revolution: Xi Jinping and the New Chinese State. The book examines the transformative changes ongoing in China today under the leadership of Xi Jinping.

Xi Jingping has consolidated power in an unprecedented way. And as Elizabeth Economy explains he is fundamentally shifting China’s domestic and foreign policies. We spend the bulk of our conversation focusing on changes underway in Chinese foreign policy, including China’s massive foreign development program called the Belt and Road initiative, it’s attempt to create an ostensible rival to the World Bank and its assertive policies in the South China Sea.

A key question driving this interview: is China, under Xi, seeking to be a revolutionary global power, or work within the established international system?

This is a great conversation about a newly emerging force in international affairs. If you have 20 minutes and want a good grasp of the trajectory of China’s …