China’s strategic initiatives to promote its authoritarian governance model and reshape global trade dynamics have become increasingly prominent in recent years. Through extensive training programs and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China is influencing governance structures in developing countries across Africa, Latin America, and beyond.
Exporting Authoritarian Governance
China has organized numerous seminars and training courses aimed at promoting its single-party system and President Xi Jinping’s worldview to officials in African and Latin American countries. According to a report by the Atlantic Council, these efforts are a key component of China’s strategy to expand its influence. The report, based on hundreds of publicly available documents from China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), highlights the promotion of China’s authoritarian model as a blueprint for successful development that other countries can emulate.
One of the primary ways Beijing promotes authoritarian governance is through training programs for foreign government officials on Chinese governance practices. These sessions teach economic and political strategies that support an authoritarian capitalist model, encouraging sympathy for Chinese narratives among officials in the Global South. Additionally, these programs provide practical assistance for host countries to adopt Chinese practices and often serve intelligence-collection purposes, requiring participants to submit detailed reports of their prior engagements with other countries.
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)
A central pillar of Xi Jinping’s rule, the Belt and Road Initiative, is a massive infrastructure project aimed at expanding China’s global influence. The BRI involves handing out substantial loans to developing countries for infrastructure development, thereby increasing their economic dependence on China. This initiative not only strengthens China’s economic ties with participating countries but also promotes its governance model through the integration of Chinese practices in project management and development strategies.
Training Programs and Their Objectives
Since 1981, China has been delivering training programs, initially branded as foreign assistance, in coordination with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). However, since 1998, China has been offering its own centrally planned training programs directly to governmental officials from countries across the Global South. These programs have significantly expanded, with more than 200,000 trainees in around 7,000 programs between 2013 and 2018.
The objectives of these training programs have evolved from primarily providing humanitarian assistance to promoting China’s authoritarian governance model. The newly obtained 2021 and 2022 files from MOFCOM reveal that the training programs now serve to directly inject narratives that marry authoritarian governance with economic development. These programs cover various areas, including law enforcement, journalism, legal issues, and space technologies, each tailored to align with China’s governance principles.
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The Role of Chinese Embassies and Ministries
Chinese embassies play a crucial role in selecting and inviting targeted individuals for training programs. The training programs are centrally planned by the Chinese government with designated regional quotas and are coordinated by an “international cooperation and exchange” office within each Chinese ministry. These programs are often subcontracted to quasi-civilian Chinese entities with extensive ties to the government, ensuring that the training aligns with China’s strategic objectives.
Implications for Global Trade and Political Landscapes
China’s efforts to promote its authoritarian governance model have significant implications for global trade and political dynamics. By training officials from developing countries, China is creating a network of sympathetic governments that may favor Chinese trade policies and practices. This can lead to increased economic dependence on China and a shift away from Western democratic norms and practices.
Moreover, the Belt and Road Initiative strengthens China’s economic ties with participating countries, potentially altering global trade routes and dependencies. As developing countries adopt Chinese governance practices, there is a risk of undermining liberal democratic norms that currently underpin the global order.
Future Prospects
China is likely to continue expanding its training programs and efforts to promote autocratic governance. New Chinese institutions are being set up to deliver longer-term and more sophisticated training programs across the Global South. For example, a Chinese political leadership school was opened in Tanzania in 2022, delivering governance training programs that marry authoritarianism with economic success. Similarly, Luban Workshops, vocational equivalents of Confucius Institutes, are increasing worldwide, teaching Chinese industrial skills and standards while potentially promoting China’s governance model.
Despite the slowdown in China’s economic growth and structural challenges, developing countries still value the lessons of China’s success under authoritarian rule. This presents ample opportunities for China to expand and deepen its training programs, with significant and wide-ranging implications for global governance and trade dynamics.
Authoritarian governance model
China’s strategic initiatives to promote its authoritarian governance model and reshape global trade dynamics are gaining traction across the developing world. Through extensive training programs and the Belt and Road Initiative, China is not only expanding its influence but also challenging the liberal democratic norms that underpin the global order. As China continues to promote its governance practices, the global political and trade landscapes are poised for significant shifts, underscoring the need for a nuanced understanding of these developments.
Credit: Mr. Waseem Qadri, Editor Think Tank Journal and Mr Asad also Contribute this article
