| ID | 173178 |
| Title Proper | China’s Engagement with Former Foreign Leaders |
| Other Title Information | In Search of External Validation of Regime Legitimacy |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Cooper, Andrew F ; Wang, Hongying ; Andrew F. Cooper; Hongying Wang |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | In recent years many former heads of foreign governments have visited China, appearing at various forums, conferences, and other events. China’s engagement with these former leaders may appear to be a form of public diplomacy, but even more importantly it has been a strategy of political legitimation adopted by the Chinese Communist Party. Based on an original database of hundreds of cases, we provide a systematic analysis of the visits of former foreign leaders to China and of their role as external validators for the party-state and its policy initiatives, particularly the Belt and Road Initiative. By shedding light on the Party’s search for external consent and support, we seek to fill a significant gap in the literature, which tends to focus narrowly on the domestic sources of legitimacy and domestic strategies of legitimation. |
| `In' analytical Note | Asian Survey Vol. 60, No.4; Jul-Aug 2020: p.634–658 |
| Journal Source | Asian Survey Vol: 60 No 4 |
| Key Words | China ; Legitimacy ; Soft Power ; Legitimation ; Validation |