Conclusion

This book shows that Chinese leaders are able to effectively orchestrate their economic statecraft. China’s distinctive approach originates with domestic ideas and institutions. Across four cases, China’s orchestration combined delegation with incentives, attracted participation by regional authorities and enterprises, and facilitated interest alignment among implementing actors. Beijing thus successfully mobilized domestic actors to expand trade and investment. When problems with enterprise malfeasance, policy stretching, and moral hazards emerged, central leaders proved capable of reversing course. After reiterating these core findings, this chapter explains how Beijing’s economic statecraft exacerbated populist anxieties, undermining key policy objectives. For countries targeted by China’s economic statecraft, the policy implications are broadly reassuring. It concludes by comparing China’s approach with the United States, Germany, and Japan, and suggesting several paths forward for future studies in comparative economic statecraft.