Over the past two decades, China has gone from a minor actor on global issues to one of the world’s most influential countries. PRC government actors, as well as Chinese state-owned and private firms, now operate around the globe. Meanwhile, China’s military, particularly the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA Navy), has been tasked with protecting China’s growing overseas interests, which include protecting the nation’s maritime energy security, maintaining access to markets for international trade, and protecting China’s growing overseas assets, including a growing number of Chinese citizens living and working abroad. How should we understand China’s growing overseas presence and emerging international influence? How is China’s role as a global actor evolving, and what does this mean for the US – China relations?
