Abstract
Does China’s vision for a New Silk Road constitute autocracy promotion? This critical commentary argues that while China may currently be showing no signs of promoting autocracy strictly defined, its broad-ranging economic, political, and cultural initiatives along its New Silk Road will likely influence how foreign governments and everyday people think and act. Though still in its infancy, the New Silk Road represents an ambitious new geopolitical project that may require scholars and analysts to rethink both the thesis and concept of autocracy promotion in the years ahead.
Contributor Notes
Octavia Bryant is a doctoral candidate and teaching assistant of politics at the Australian Catholic University, Melbourne. She is a graduate of Monash University and is currently an editorial assistant at Democratic Theory: An Interdisciplinary Journal.
Mark Chou is associate professor of politics at the Australian Catholic University, Melbourne. He is the author of three books, including Democracy Against Itself (Edinburgh University Press, 2014), and numerous articles, published in such journals as Millennium, Political Studies Review, PS: Political Science and Politics, and Australian Journal of Political Science. He is the founding co-editor of Democratic Theory: An Interdisciplinary Journal.
Democratic Theory
An Interdisciplinary Journal
