Lecture on China's Fragmented Foreign Policy

March 7, 2023

#CASI#ICP

On February 28, the AUCA's Central Asian Studies Institute (CASI) and International and Comparative Politics Department (ICP) hosted a guest lecture by Prof. Dr. Andrew Mertha on China’s Fragmented foreign policy. Dr. Mertha is the George and Sadie Hyman Professor of China Studies since 2018 and Vice Dean of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) Faculty 2020-2021.

Dr. Mertha has spent the past quarter century examining and analyzing Chinese bureaucratic institutions that are often invisible to observers but play an outsized role in politics, economics, technological development, and societal responsiveness of Beijing.

During his lecture, Dr. Mertha explored the idea of China’s fragmented foreign policy drawing from case studies of Nicaragua, Ghana, Myanmar, and Cambodia. He argued that China’s foreign policy is not a cohesive strategy but rather a collection of different policies that are often contradictory and inconsistent.

After the end of the session, students and faculty had time to ask their questions regarding Chinese foreign policies. Dr. Mertha answered all questions very consistently and enhanced his answers by providing evidence and examples.

Dr.  Metha’s lecture provided valuable insights into understanding China’s foreign policy and its complexities. It highlighted how important it is for policymakers to understand these complexities when engaging with China on issues with trade and investment. 

<< go to news list