The Evolving Role of the Chinese Communist Party in China's Foreign Policy Decision-Making Process

EAI China Research Panel Report No. 8

Author

Kim Ae-kyung (金愛慶), Associate Professor, Department of Chinese Language and Culture, Myongji College. Graduated from the Department of Chinese Language and Literature, Kookmin University, and obtained a Ph.D. in International Politics from Peking University (北京大學). She previously served as an adjunct professor at Kookmin University and a senior researcher at the Seoul National University Institute for Global Studies. Her main research areas are Chinese foreign policy and East Asian international relations. Recent research achievements include "Analysis of the Reconstruction of China's National Interest: Focusing on Changes in Foreign Policy Strategies toward Developing Countries" (2013), "Prospects for China's Foreign Strategy and Korean Peninsula Policy in the Xi Jinping Era" (2012), "Potential Territorial and Maritime Boundary Delimitation Issues Between South Korea and China" (2011), "China's Rise and Soft Power Strategy: A Case Study of Policy Toward Africa" (2008), among others.

I. Introduction

A wide array of actors influences China's foreign policy decision-making. As numerous existing studies have already revealed, the actors influencing foreign policy are diversifying, and their roles are becoming increasingly varied. This signifies a departure from previous leadership eras, when foreign policy decisions were made by a select few at the highest level of leadership. This trend in China's foreign policy decision-making process reflects the diversification of Chinese domestic society, leading to the formation of various interests, and the deepening interdependence with the international community, which blurs the lines of foreign policy. As factors complicating China's foreign policy decision-making process increase, so too do the factors and actors influencing policy decisions. This tendency cannot be confined solely to China; similar trends are observed in almost all countries worldwide (Jakobson and Knox 2010, 1-51).

Despite the emergence of new actors influencing foreign policy, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) remains the central actor in foreign policy decision-making, both historically and presently. As is well known, China maintains the fundamental framework of a party-state system, with the Party leading state institutions. This means the CCP's leadership is guaranteed in all political-administrative systems, including the constitution and ideology, and legal systems, distinguishing it from ruling parties in other countries. In China, which maintains the party-state system, major national policies are known to be deliberated and decided by the CCP. The National People's Congress and its Standing Committee have legislated policies, while administrative bodies, centered around the State Council, have executed them.

Attention invariably focuses on the organizations and individuals playing central roles in foreign policy decision-making. As China's international standing and influence grow, interest in the actors involved in its foreign policy decisions and the organizations or individuals at the core of the decision-making process is no exception. The particular interest in new characteristics within China's foreign policy decision-making process stems from the assessment that China's foreign policy has undergone dramatic changes, the high level of interest in aspects that differ from other countries due to China's maintenance of a socialist system, and the enhancement of China's international influence.

Relative to the level of interest in China's foreign policy decision-making process, existing research is limited. Foreign policy decision-making processes are generally referred to as a "black box" due to the inherent limitations in observing the process itself. However, in China's case, the specific mechanisms through which policies are decided are extremely difficult to ascertain due to the particular challenges in accessing data, stemming from its political system. Nevertheless, as mentioned above, fragmented research on China's foreign policy decision-making process has been conducted. As external interest in China's foreign policy decision-making structure increases, research related to the organizations involved in foreign policy decision-making and the factors influencing these decisions is gradually expanding.

Most existing studies on China's foreign policy decision-making primarily focus on introducing and analyzing the characteristics of the Party and government organizations and personnel responsible for making and implementing foreign policy. Others introduce and analyze factors influencing foreign policy decisions, such as Party and government organizations, think tanks, and corporations, or elucidate the role of leading small groups (領導小組) in the policy-making process (Barnett 1985; Lieberthal and Oksenberg 1988; Zhao 1992, 158-178; Lu 1997; Jakobson and Knox 2010, 1-51; Cabestan 2009, 63-97; Jeong Jae-ho 2000, 121-187; Seo Jin-young 2006, 70-98; Kim Heung-kyu 2008, 60-91; Kim Tae-ho 2005, 121-136; Shao Zonghai 2011; Wang Cungang 2012, 1-18). Some studies present specific cases to analyze the foreign policy decision-making process and the influence of top leadership within this process. While the efforts to provide insights into the decision-making process, despite limited information, are commendable, these studies are also constrained by their focus on specific time periods.

This paper, drawing on prior research, focuses on the changing role of the Chinese Communist Party in foreign policy. It is undeniable that the CCP has been and continues to be the most crucial actor in determining foreign policy. However, it is also true that the factors and actors influencing foreign policy are increasing. As China's international standing rises and its foreign exchanges expand, the range of foreign policy issues requiring China's engagement has grown, along with the number of stakeholders. Whereas previously, government ministries involved in foreign policy issues were largely limited to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the diversification of foreign policy issues has now expanded this to include ministries such as the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Education, and environmental protection agencies. With the increase in stakeholders and the growing specialization of issues, a structured process is now necessary for policy formulation.

Therefore, it is necessary to examine how the Chinese Communist Party, still regarded as holding a monopolistic role in foreign policy decision-making, is addressing the considerations of issue diversity and specialization, and the institutionalization of processes. Does the emergence of new actors influencing foreign policy decisions lead to a reduction in the CCP's dominant influence or leadership position in foreign policy? Or is the Party leveraging these new actors to enhance the legitimacy and justification of its decisions? Starting from this critical perspective, this paper aims to analyze the role of the CCP in the foreign policy decision-making process. Despite the emergence of various actors and the increasing need for specialization due to a growing number of related foreign policy issues, our primary assessment is that the Chinese Communist Party continues to exert dominant influence in the policy-making process and is strengthening its control over new actors through formal and informal mechanisms to bolster its influence.

This paper will first examine and analyze the roles of the CCP's formal and informal organizations related to Chinese foreign policy in Chapter 2. Formal organizations are those specified in the CCP Charter (黨章) and the official organizational charts of the Party Central Committee. Informal organizations, conversely, refer to groups not explicitly listed in the Charter or official charts but are known to play significant roles in actual policy decisions. Through an examination of the CCP's formal and informal organizations related to foreign policy, we can understand the mechanisms of the institutions holding policy-making authority. Chapter 3 will first analyze the roles of successive top leaders and Party organizations in the foreign policy decision-making process by period and examine the characteristics that emerge. Comparative studies across different periods can reveal changes in the foreign policy decision-making process, highlighting how the Party Central Committee, which plays the most crucial role, has maintained relationships with various actors. Through this analysis, we aim to determine whether the role of the Chinese Communist Party in foreign policy decision-making has changed. Chapter 4 will conclude by projecting the role and status of the CCP in foreign policy decision-making over the next decade.

II. China's Foreign Policy Decision-Making Process and CCP-Related Organizations

The structure of foreign policy decision-making varies depending on the political system. For instance, democratic and authoritarian systems inherently differ in their processes and structures for making foreign policy. Even within the same political system, decision-making structures can vary by country. That is, differences may arise between parliamentary and presidential systems, and even within presidential systems, each country exhibits unique characteristics based on the relationship between the executive and legislative branches, the types and dynamics among foreign policy administrative agencies, and the influence of public opinion and interest groups. Furthermore, the disposition of the country's top leader can play a crucial role in the foreign policy decision-making process. Consequently, it is difficult to identify dominant tendencies or patterns in foreign policy decision-making structures (Yoo Seung-ik 1995, 137).

Nevertheless, national policies are generally decided by individuals and groups acting on behalf of the state, namely, public officials appointed according to the constitution and legal framework. A nation's foreign policy can be determined by individuals or by related organizations and the groups within them. China is no exception; public officials appointed by the constitution and laws will make policy decisions. However, as previously mentioned, China maintains a party-state system as a socialist state, where the government is led by the Party. Therefore, major domestic and foreign policies are primarily decided by the Party's top leadership and related organizations. Related organizations here encompass both formal and informal Party organizations, which are introduced below.

1. China's Foreign Policy Decision-Making Process and Formal Party Organizations

The official Party organizations related to foreign policy include the Central Committee, the Politburo, the Standing Committee of the Politburo, the Central Secretariat, the Propaganda Department of the CPC Central Committee, the International Liaison Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Policy Research Office of the CPC Central Committee, the Office of the Leading Group for Foreign Affairs under the CPC Central Committee, and the Office for Taiwan Affairs under the CPC Central Committee. The roles of these organizations in the foreign policy decision-making process have not been equal, and their functions have varied over time. This is likely because the roles of key organizations and personnel related to specific issues were further emphasized in China's foreign policy decision-making process, and the level of institutionalization within China's foreign policy decision-making system has varied. Therefore, this chapter will briefly introduce the roles and developmental processes of the relevant Party organizations... (continued)