China and the Rules-Based International Order uses the lens of populism to analyze China’s recent crisis responses.
Why does China diverge from other powers on the world stage? Under the leadership of Xi Jinping, China’s political rhetoric has turned outward in a strong resistance to existing rules. Drawing parallels with domestic populism movements that are anti-elitist and grievance-fuelled, Pitman B. Potter theorizes that contemporary Chinese conduct can be described as “globalized populism” against the Western-dominated international order.
Potter uses the framework of populism to explore China’s responses to three global crises of our time: the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and involuntary migration. Debates about the origins of and responsibility for COVID-19 after its emergence in China prompted the country to express an antagonistic populism in its relations with the international public health policy system. By contrast, the domestic challenges of climate change have provoked greater Chinese involvement in the international climate policy system, an example of participatory populism. Finally, China’s response to migration has been hesitant and cautious, articulated in passive populism against the prevailing international migration policy.
This carefully reasoned analysis of China’s crisis responses supports a better understanding of a country with increasing prominence in the world and suggests practical policies to improve relations between China and the international system.
