Honors Theses

Date of Award

2015

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Department

Croft Institute for International Studies

First Advisor

Matthew DiGiuseppe

Relational Format

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

This thesis examines China's role in the world, specifically from 1990 to 2011. I discuss China's arms exports and outward direct investment (ODI) and how these relate with China's policy goals. Do Chinese leaders use these two methods as means of gaining long-term, international hegemonic/ strategic support, or are they related to gaining short-term, domestic economic-based support? In this thesis, I attempt to look into international political theory (constructivism and rationalism) and how this applies to China's current and future ambitions as a world power. I test this by looking at factors like UN voting, polity IV score, and natural resource exports of developing countries. In my results, I find that arms exports are linked to UN voting (hegemonic/ strategic goals) and that ODI is linked to the acquisition of natural resources (economic goals).

Comments

A thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for completion of the Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies from the Croft Institute for International Studies and the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College.

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