Rebranding China: contested status signaling in the changing global order

摘要

In the last few years, China's foreign policy behaviour has puzzled many observers. While on some occasions the country's leaders and diplomats vow to take the mantle of world leadership from the United States, on others they insist that China is still a developing country and cannot assume more responsibility. Why does China present itself both as a rich rising power and as a poor developing country? Why (and when) does China send contradictory signals to the world? How can China project different images and manage these clashing identities?