Leiden University Student Repository

Gestel, Billy van (2019)

What money can buy: Beijing’s use of economic diplomacy in cross-strait relations

Bachelor thesis | International Studies (BA)

This paper analyses the development and success of China’s use of economic diplomacy in cross-strait relations. It analyses two coercive approaches, and two non-coercive approaches to economic diplomacy. The success of each respective example of economic diplomacy is analysed based on the degree to which the Chinese government succeeded in changing the political affiliation of Taiwanese target groups. The successfulness of each case of economic diplomacy is then further explained through the degree of control the Chinese had over the key-factors involved in these cases. I conclude that overall, non-coercive strategies of economic diplomacy are China’s best option for increasing its influence over Taiwan. While coercive strategies can also benefit Beijing, they are unable to significantly alter the political affiliation of the Taiwanese electorate in Beijing’s favour, as strong coercion tends to generate major public opposition.

China

Taiwan

cross-strait relations

economic diplomacy

economic statecraft

economic coercion

interest-transformation

economic interdependence.

Author

Gestel, Billy van

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

East Asia

Supervisors

d'Hooghe, Ingrid

ECTS Credits

15

Language

en