Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers stand guard outside the Great Hall of the People before a press conference for the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing on March 3.
| Photo Credit: AFP
The story so far: During his visit to China in January, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had separate meetings with the Chinese Vice Foreign Minister, Sun Weidong, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the CPC (IDCPC). While in India, there is a clear distinction between the party and the state, in the Chinese system, party and state bodies are intermeshed, with the CPC holding ultimate authority over the government.
Also Read: India-China relationship entering ‘phase of recovery’: Chinese Envoy
Who are decision makers in China?
At the top of all political decision making is the Politburo Standing Committee (PBSC). While the PBSC sets the overall policy direction, it is the CPC Central Committee’s Foreign Affairs Commission (FAC) that takes charge of policy coordination, inter-departmental communications and actual decision making. Little information is available about the membership and meetings of this body. However, it is known that the commission is headed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, with Li Qiang as its deputy head. Secretarial and administrative services to this commission are provided by the Office of the FAC. This office is headed by Wang Yi, who concurrently holds the position of China’s Foreign Minister. The daily workings of the organisation is managed by Deputy Director, Guo Yezhou. This office is significant as it has the function of agenda setting, information gathering from line agencies, and making recommendations to top leaders.
What does the CPC’s diplomatic arm look like?
While the above two are decision-making bodies, the main organisation engaged in the CPC’s diplomatic outreach is the International Liaison Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC). Liu Jianchao, the IDCPC head, is a former foreign ministry spokesperson, diplomat and official in the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. As the head, Mr. Liu holds a provincial-ministerial level ranking, which technically puts him at par with ministers in the state council, but because of party-state hierarchy, he outranks state ministers.
The IDCPC has been conducting the party’s diplomatic outreach to political parties across the ideological spectrum in more than 150 countries with an aim to supplement state to state relations, but also to increase the international legitimacy of the CPC. It is organised in regional bureaus like ‘South and Southeast Asian Affairs’ that conducts research on political conditions and maintains contact with major parties and organisations. Party-to-party diplomacy has been a key tool for the CPC in South Asia. The IDCPC has hosted delegations from India’s major political parties too.
Another important party organisation in the realm of foreign policy is the United Front Work Department (UFWD), headed by Politburo member Shi Taifeng. The UFWD is tasked with managing relations with overseas Chinese diaspora as well as Hong Kong and Taiwan affairs.
Also Read: Had frank, in-depth talks on issues of concern, says China
It also oversees narratives around ethnic minorities in Tibet and Xinjiang and seeks to influence international messaging on China by reaching out to intellectuals in foreign countries.
Do they handle state-to-state diplomacy as well?
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) is a governmental body and is a constituent ministry under the state council. It is headed by the Foreign Minister, whose position has fluctuated in the party hierarchy over decades.
In the early years of the People’s Republic of China, the Ministry was headed by the powerful Chinese premier, Zhou Enlai, but later saw a decline in power and influence. The MFA is primarily responsible for the implementation of foreign policy decisions through its bureaucratic and diplomatic corps. Though considered to be at the ‘middle level’ in terms of hierarchy — with little power to give a unique perspective on foreign policy issues — it is the official interface of the Chinese state with the rest of the world. Through its statements and press releases, it communicates China’s position on various issues related to foreign policy, security, domestic politics, etc. Furthermore, research shows that since coming to power, Xi Jinping has taken a keen interest in foreign affairs, increasing the stature of the MFA. He is also said to regularly summon foreign service bureaucrats and serving ambassadors for direct instructions, an indication of the ‘top level design’ in foreign policy.
There are other organisations like the National Security Commission, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, National People’s Congress, etc. that also have a diplomatic component. Based on this, it can be concluded that China has quite a distinct foreign policy apparatus that requires engagement at multiple levels involving both party and state actors. It also necessitates that Indian policymakers pay special attention to the Chinese Communist Party and its various official formulations, as these are fundamental in setting state policies. Discover the excitement of live betting with https://9bet.net/, where you can place bets on events as they unfold in real-time.
Shruti Jargad is a research analyst at Centre for Social and Economic Progress
Published – March 04, 2025 08:30 am IST