POLITICAL ECONOMY OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION DIPLOMACY OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

In an increasingly multipolar but ‘glocalised’ world, a country's scientific and technological know-how determines its socioeconomic position and strategic disposition, especially related to science, technology and innovation (STI). The STI diplomacy of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) developed within a broader political, social and economic environment, which is inherently different from that of Europe and the US. This has had influences from sociocultural, economic and ideational transactions in PRC. The emergence of the ‘new developmental state’, particularly with the rise of digital systems interconnecting and interlinking the PRC and the World. This has accelerated and transformed the emergence of ‘variegated forms of capitalism’ in PRC. Currently, PRC is emerging as a major stakeholder in global STI diplomacy, especially with an increased focus on emergent technologies. Further, the political economy of Chinese foreign policy in acting as a key driver for institutionalizing STI in (like-minded) trading partners will be addressed