China’s active defence against democracy promotion: a conceptual analysis

This article examines the Xi Jinping regime’s strategic intent behind its activities that, in effect, facilitate the global autocratization trend. I argue that the Xi regime’s ideological policies are driven by a defensive goal: strengthening the Chinese Communist Party’s legitimacy and authority against the ideological influence of Western liberal democracy. Borrowing the concept of “active defence,” China’s military strategy that emphasizes preventive actions, this article provides a nuanced understanding of China’s global engagement in the ideological sphere. The concept frames China’s actions as measures to defend the regime, rather than attempts to spread authoritarianism, unlike cases like the Soviet Union’s expansion of communism. The article compares the ideological policies of the Jiang-Hu administrations and the Xi Jinping government, illustrating the continuity and shifts in China’s ideological approaches, with a particular focus on the expansion of these policies to foreign audiences. The analysis contributes to the literature on autocracy promotion by offering a new conceptual framework and presents policy implications for democracy promoters, urging a more indirect, developmental approach to engaging with developing countries.