The Economic Statecraft of China
Economic statecraft is the use of economic, financial or regulatory tools to achieve foreign policy objectives. In today’s interdependent world, many states view it as an effective complement or even alternative to the use of diplomacy or military force. This research project studies the economic statecraft of the People’s Republic of China towards Belgium and, by extension, the European Union (EU). The project maps the strategies and tools of Chinese economic statecraft, identifies possible vulnerabilities and response strategies on the European side, and analyzes the dynamics of geoeconomic competition in regions that are key to European foreign policy interests. The research is conducted at the Royal Military Academy (RMA) of Belgium and sponsored by the Royal Higher Institute for Defence (RHID).
Research output
10 Feburary 2024
7 August 2024
The International Spectator
Researchers
Prof. Dr. Cind Du Bois
Prof. Dr. Cind Du Bois is professor in Economics at the Royal Military Academy (RMA). She holds a Ph.D. in Applied Economic Sciences from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and a Master in Political Sciences from the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB). Her current research interests are economic security, economic Statecraft and defence economics.
Prof. Dr. Jonathan Holslag
Prof. Dr. Jonathan Holslag is Professor of International Politics at the Free University of Brussels (VUB). He was special advisor to the First Vice-President of the European Commission, Benelux director of the Trilateral Commission. Dr. Holslag serves as a reserve officer in the Belgian military. He has published widely on security, Asia and international affairs. He is or was part of various organizations, such as the World Economic Forum, the Trilateral Commission, the Friday Group, etc. He recently authored A Political History of the World (Penguin, 2018), The Silk Road Trap (Polity, 2019), and World Politics after 1989 (Polity, 2021).
Dr. Sara Van Hoeymissen
Sara Van Hoeymissen is a researcher on the Chinese economic statecraft project. She holds a PhD in Chinese Studies from the University of Leuven. She previously lived and worked in Southern Africa, where she lectured in international relations and Chinese Studies. Sara’s research within the project focuses on the political economy of China and the strategies and tools of Chinese economic statecraft.
Eleftheris Vigne
Eleftheris Vigne is a researcher at the Royal Military Academy and the VUB. His research focuses on the economic interdependence between African countries and China, and the implications of this asymmetrical interdependence on the foreign policy of African countries.
Nick Houttekier
Nick Houttekier is a researcher at the Royal Military Academy and the VUB. His research focuses on the economic power relations that precede the employment of economic statecraft.