Dragon rising? Zhang Xin, Associate Professor, School of Politics and International Relations, ECNU

Despite its allegiance to communism, China’s foreign policy has never been particularly revolutionary. It was more in line with the Dao principle of non-action — doing nothing was seen as more conducive to restoring order than doing a potentially detrimental something. But with the recent release of its vision for bringing peace to Ukraine and security globally, Beijing seems to be gearing up for a more active role in the world. Is it a one-off or does it indeed signify a major change in the country’s international standing? To discuss this, Oksana is joined by Zhang Xin, an associate professor at the School of Politics and International Relations at East China Normal University.