đź“Ś What This Paper Examines
This paper spotlights a largely overlooked actor in China’s external relations: the International Department of the Communist Party of China (ID‑CPC). It traces the ID‑CPC’s external engagement from the early 2000s onward, showing how party-to-party ties have been expanded and repurposed—especially since Xi Jinping took office—to advance Chinese interests and promote China’s vision for reforming the global order.
đź“š How the Evidence Was Collected
- Systematic analysis of publicly available documentation
- Focus on patterns of the CPC’s external relations and travel diplomacy from the early 2000s to the present
🔑 Key Findings
- Intense travel diplomacy: The ID‑CPC conducts an extensive program of visits and exchanges that builds ties with political elites around the world.
- Wide global reach: The party maintains a stretched network of contacts across regions and regime types.
- Shift under Xi Jinping: While party engagement predates Xi, efforts have been noticeably bolstered since his rise to power.
- Multiple functions of party relations:
- An additional channel for advancing China’s foreign policy interests
- A key instrument for promoting China’s agenda to reform global governance
- A vehicle for authoritarian learning, through the sharing of experiences about economic modernization and one‑party rule
- Cross‑regional comparisons illuminate variation in outreach and messaging, clarifying the ID‑CPC’s strategic role within Chinese foreign policy.
🔍 Why It Matters
The analysis reframes the CPC not only as a domestic governing actor but as an active international agent shaping norms and policy debates. Understanding party-to-party diplomacy opens a new research agenda at the intersection of China’s foreign relations, authoritarian diffusion, and transnational party networks.
