Economic Entanglement: The Quantum Race Between The United States And China, Isabella Willhite

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

The United States and China are both currently home to the strongest economies and militaries in the world. Despite their interdependence, trade wars have escalated between the two countries in the past few years. While past trade wars have been focused on purely economic protectionism or ideological stances, the trade wars of today signify a shift towards protecting critical emerging technologies. The important emerging technology of today is quantum computing, which will forever change the way that computers encrypt, process, and decode information. The United States and China are on the eve of the “quantum race,” in which they will …

Assessing The Threat Of Social Media To National Security: Information Operations In The 21st Century, Brendan M. Cullen

Senior Theses

The ubiquity of social media has enabled an unprecedented amount of personal data to be accessible to various entities. Social media platforms leverage this data to optimize algorithmic recommendation systems, persuade users to engage, and promote monetization. The social media ecosystem’s business model demands continuous engagement and the relentless collection of user data to grow and scale. Not only is social media massively popular around the world, but it has integrated heavily into users’ daily lives. This integration is driven by social platforms’ deliberate architectures and affordances. The intentionality of social media can be exploited by state and non-state actors …

Thawing Interests: The Arctic In U.S. Grand Strategy, Benjamin S. Murray

MSU Graduate Theses

The thawing Arctic is subject to increasing activity, attention, and a renewal of interests in the region from around the globe. National interests have compelled strategic planning in the Arctic region and are connected to global geopolitics. A concept of grand strategy is distilled from theories of past authors, understood within the modern context. That concept includes a terminological framework consisting of interests and threats to inform an ends, ways, and means design of strategy, composed of all instruments of state power, blending policy with strategy, and across the peace-war continuum. Then fundamental precepts of existing U.S. grand strategy are …

Money Moves: An Analysis Of Chinese Foreign Direct Investment In Europe, Susan Soh

Honors Theses

In recent years, China has begun engaging in outward foreign direct investment (FDI). There is a significant amount of literature dedicated to understanding China’s FDI in developing nations. However, very little research has been conducted over Chinese FDI in advanced economies. As a result of this gap in existing literature, the question arises, what explains Chinese FDI in Europe?

As FDI is a transaction to which both the donor and recipient countries must agree, this thesis has a dual focus. One chapter of the thesis analyzes the effects of and motivations for Chinese FDI on European nations. In this chapter, …

Biden’S Options: Policy Recommendations On The Us-China Trade War, Marley Taylor Belanger

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

As talks of unprecedented inflation and the long-term impact of the pandemic are on the rise in the United States, it is critical to understand how the foreign policy choices of the US Government ultimately impact its economy. This paper aims to evaluate the impact of the economic tensions between the US and China as a result of the ongoing US-China Trade War. To examine the viability of proposed options, a cost-benefit analysis of Biden’s policy options is implemented based on a framework of escalation, de-escalation, or modification of the current US-China economic policy initiative. The analysis of these proposals …

Why Did You Come To Study In The United States? Analysis Of The Phenomenon Of Modern Chinese Students Studying In The United States, Beitong Liu

Senior Projects Fall 2022

The occurrence of Chinese students studying in the United States is becoming increasingly prevalent, and the factors that drive Chinese students to study abroad are changing with time. This senior project, after the explicit framework for the history and development of modern Chinese students studying in the United States. I use Push-Pull Factors to explore some of the important factors that influence Chinese students' decision to study abroad in the present day. For instance, I argue that significant internal Chinese push factors include the pressure of the gaokao, the education difficulties caused by the hukou, and the comprehensive service of …

Connection And Competition: Navigating The U.S.-China Race To 5g, Hannah Reilly

CMC Senior Theses

By improving the speed and reliability of the transfer of data, 5G technology has the potential to produce a fourth technological revolution over the next few decades. Its infrastructure will enable advanced technology that will generate massive economic growth and bolster military power. 5G technology will also create new vulnerabilities that introduce new security concerns. The nation with the most control over its 5G networks and the networks of other countries will gain the ability to protect itself from the cyberattacks or espionage of countries with malicious intent. A fierce competition has erupted between the United States and China, each …

Is Smart Power Leading The Way Forward? Reassessing Its Importance In The U.S. And China’S International Strategy, Zach Florman

International Affairs Senior Theses

Since the end of the cold war, the world of politics and international relations has seen China grow its power and influence tremendously. Much of this growth has been fueled by strategies and initiatives focused on smart power, a term coined by Joseph Nye in 2003,[1] through large economic projects such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Meanwhile, the backbone of the United States smart power is within institutions, most notably the United Nations (UN), which have begun to show their age and weaknesses. 1) Should smart power strategies be known as stronger power building initiatives than …

Small-Family Mindset: An Analysis Of The Impact Of China's Family Planning Policies On Family Culture, Sarah Ansley Croft

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the impact of China’s family planning policies on women’s attitudes towards family culture and the implications on China today. The family planning policies began in the 1970s as an emergency measure intended to create a short-term voluntary small-family culture by decreasing fertility rates. My research, comprised primarily of primary and secondary qualitative sources, discusses the development and implementation of the policies, the economic reforms beginning in the 1980s, and their joint effects on fertility rates, sex ratio at birth, women’s liberation, and changes in family culture, particularly in rural areas. This study found that the family planning …

The Strategic Impact Of China's Artificial Islands In The South China Sea And Their Influence On U.S. And China Relations, Steven Roy Ma

All Student Scholarship

This is an integrative literature review of various perspectives of different authors of previous scholarly articles discussing the impact of China’s artificial Islands in the South China Sea and how it affects U.S. China relations in the region. This research covers a range of parameters surrounding how the artificial islands were made and how they affect the overall security of naval operations and will also discuss international waterway rights within the South China Sea, one of the World’s biggest trading routes. A review of current events in the region is discussed highlighting the potential powder keg that could explode and …

Great Power Politics: The United States’ War On Disinformation With Consideration To Russian And Chinese Offensive Efforts, Jordan Venglass

CMC Senior Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the growing national security threat posed by Russia and China’s willingness to exercise 21st century information warfare techniques against the United States and its areas of strategic interest. This study will describe the composition of these state’s foreign disinformation entities while providing several case studies that display their advanced capabilities and the direct effects that each poses on the general public both domestically and internationally. To best provide unbiased reporting and accuracy in each country’s analysis, this study will rely on the diversified use of government reports, legal documents, academic journals, and …

A ‘Hermit Kingdom’ No Longer? Kim Jong-Un’S Two Years Of Diplomatic Summits And What North Korean Media Can Tell Us About Them, Jaimie Ding

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis examines the English-language output of the Korean Central News Agency, the main news agency of North Korea. I conduct an analysis of the KCNA news coverage of a series of diplomatic summits that North Korean leader Ki Jong-un holds with Chinese president Xi Jin-ping, South Korean president Moon Jae-in, and U.S. president Donald Trump from 2018-2019. For this analysis, I coded for certain phrases and rhetoric and examined the content of each article to look at how news coverage of these summits reflects North Korea’s foreign policy goals and stances toward the respective countries. I found several recurring …

The Evolutionary Global Vision Of Chinese Political Philosophy; China's Socio-Economic Transformation In The 21st Century, Meryem Gurel

Master's Projects and Capstones

Evolving relations of East Asia due to trade liberalization raised the search for financial stability for institutional development. It also increased the importance of China integrating the global economy into renewing its political philosophy in the new century. This capstone project aims to examine why China has transformed its socio-economic structure by generating outward investments and how it has affected international political relations in terms of the role of the economic institution Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). Quantitative methodology aims to examine the impact of China’s export trade on income distribution and economic growth through linear regression analysis for the …

The Impact Of Chinese Investments On The Kenyan Economy, Candice Newcomb

International Studies (MA) Theses

The involvement of China in Kenya has been increasing in recent years. China’s investments in Kenya are still impacting the Kenyan economy significantly. This thesis will examine the positive and negative impacts that the Chinese investments have had on the Kenyan economy.

This thesis will also address the role that the Kenyan government plays in the facilitating of the Chinese investments. It will highlight the importance the Kenyan government has in prioritizing policies such as labor laws for the Kenyan people. The Kenyan government has a responsibility to protect its citizens from the negative impacts of Chinese investments such as …

The Past And The Present: Two Paradigms Of The Sino-African Investment, Emma Weirich

International Political Economy Theses

Outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) has obvious economic and political connections between the recipient and donor countries. Such investment can benefit both sides and carry certain costs to both, whether through global scrutiny or domestic struggles. This these seeks to add to the ongoing discussion of China's OFDI to Africa by comparing China's investment during its socialist period (1949-1976) and its post-socialist era (1977 – present). This comparison reveals that China's foreign policy has transitioned from a socialist paradigm to a capitalist one in the last seven decades, which brought significant changes in its OFDI policies and practice. In the …

Militarism, Economics, And Nationalism: The Russian And Chinese Expansionist Foreign Policy Of The 21st Century, Paul Charles Gargiulo Jr.

Senior Theses

While the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 may have harkened in a new era of global peace, the rise of nationalist governments in China and Russia have changed this circumstance as seen in their respective spheres of influence. During the first two decades of the 21st Century, China and Russia have become increasingly aggressive in the application of their foreign policies, attempting to assert their presence on the global stage. From 1945 through 1991, there has been a historical precedence of Chinese and Russian dominance in the South China Sea and in Eastern Europe. This was in part …

Taiwan's Response To Covid-19 Pandemic, An Pei Peng

Master's Projects and Capstones

Taiwan has constructed a response to the COVID-19 pandemic that not only has largely protected its citizens from the rapid community spread that has devastated larger countries around the world, but has also, commanded acclaim from the World Health Organization (WHO). Ironically, the WHO has refused to allow Taiwan entry into the organization because of the island’s tenuous relationship with China. The tensions between Taiwan and China are rooted in a post-World War II history that is predicated on Taiwan’s self-governing assertions despite China’s desire to consider it as part of the mainland. Such geopolitical and economic tensions have continued …

Changing Tides: The Impact Of Chinese Investment In Gambia’S Fishing Industry, Abdallah Alami

Master's Theses

This thesis analyzes the presence and impact of Chinese fishing companies in the West African country of The Gambia. The presence of the Chinese companies have resulted in drastic changes in the country’s fisheries industry where they have a comparative advantage due to their geographic location. Through interviews conducted with Gambian officials in the Ministry of Fisheries and Water Resources, and members of the fishing community (both fishermen and merchants), I conclude that the Chinese presence is a trade-off between the Gambian government and the Chinese investors. It is positive because they are engaged in a beneficial partnership with the …

The Belt And Road Initiative: China’S Rise, America’S Balance, And Latin America’S Struggle, Garrett Bullock

History Honors Papers

This research attempts to understand the evolving relationship between China, the United States, and Latin America. Specifically, it explores China’s rapid rise as a formidable geopolitical power, the United States’ mixed response to that rise, and efforts by two Latin American countries, Ecuador and Argentina, to avoid exploitation by both China and the United States—and, indeed, to even benefit from this mutating relationship. In all cases, historically constructed ideas and strategic interests shape relations among these various actors. Accordingly, this research lays out the historical sources for each of these powers’ central ideas. Then, it connects those ideas to the …

A Thumb On The Scale: Chinese Investment And Influence In Ecuador And Colombia, Christina Pendergrast

Honors Theses

Over the past two decades, Chinese involvement in the developing world has increased dramatically, raising concerns over the intentions behind the provision of development packages. Critics have accused China of a practice known as debt-trap diplomacy, a method of ensnaring less developed nations by providing more loans than those nations have the ability to feasibly pay back. While China denies that their loan and investment packages are provided with any ulterior motive, the influence held by an investor like China has the potential to impact these partner countries for decades to come. In light of the scope of China’s role …

The African State: An Illusory Vestige Of Colonialism, Muhammad K. Otaru

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In a 2006 Interview, prominent Nigerian author, and social commentator, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie said; “…Nigeria was set up to fail. The only thing we Nigerians should take responsibility for is the extent of the failure….”1. Such a view about colonialism and the states it arbitrarily created is widely shared by many on the African continent, who have come to understand that the very creation and existence of the African state are largely to blame for the seemingly countless socio-economic and political issues faced on the continent.

1 Kimber, Charlie, Interview: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The Socialist Review. (Online, October …

The Erosion Of Press Freedom: An Examination Of Hong Kong’S Book Publishing And Journalism Industries Post-Handover, Salonee Goel

CMC Senior Theses

Hong Kong was once touted for the openness of its press and its vibrant independent publishing scene. Now, seemingly reputable news organizations, such as the South China Morning Post, are undergoing editorial shifts and engaging in self-censorship while independent book publishers are being replaced by Chinese state-owned companies. These changes are a result of years of direct and indirect pressure on these industries by the Chinese government, which began even before the 1997 handover. In the past decade, these tactics have become more overt and their effects on the city’s news organizations and book publishers are increasingly visible. Through interviews …

Make Orwell Fiction Again: Authoritarian Regimes' Use Of Surveillance Technology In China And Russia, Nora Mahon Wheelehan

Senior Theses

This thesis demonstrates how different models of authoritarianism rely on surveillance technology as a part of the state’s capacity. Specifically, I look at the technology based mechanisms employed by China and Russia in their efforts to regulate their population and ensure their durability based on their historical ideology of surveillance. In the comparison of the two states, I demonstrate how the differences in the scope of their efforts reflects China’s long term authoritarian stability in contrast with Russia’s political turbulence. The two regimes have similar historical origins, nontax revenue structures, and political institutions, whereas they differ in their state’s capacity …

China: Do The Uighurs Represent A Serious Threat?, Bridget Read, Ryan Walters

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) utilization of harsh ethnic control policies coupled with extreme and violent enforcement by the People’s Armed Police (PAP) will likely drive the Uighurs to become a security threat to the PRC and disrupt international relationships. The Uighurs do not currently constitute a security threat to the PRC based on their limited connection to terrorist organizations and attacks. Due to several underlying factors, the Uighurs represent a political concern to the PRC and the conflict between the PRC and the Uighurs is fueled by ethnic tensions. Ongoing security operations in the Uighurs’ home province of …

China's Global Influence In 2025: Projected Foreign Policy Strategies, Melissa Toman

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Many political scientists contend that the rise of China is inevitable. Through expanding political, economic, social, and military channels, it appears clear that China desires to increase its status in the global community. Through this analysis, China’s various policies will be assessed in order to outline their objectives for growth by 2025. In addition, through the use of Counterfactual Reasoning, four scenarios are presented to hypothesize what the future of Chinese foreign policy objectives could mean to regional and global actors.

The Making Of A New Superpower: An Examination Of China's Journey To Superpower Status, Sabrina Abigail Focht

Senior Theses

This thesis aims to determine China’s current role within the international system and whether or not it has achieved the status of a superpower nation and thus, the ability to shift global polarity. Due to China’s recent economic success, scholars have been debating if China has already become a superpower, will become one in the future, or if it will never attain this status. This thesis will suggest that by observing the United States’ journey to becoming a sole superpower after the end of the Cold War, and its consequential shifting of global polarity, it is possible to determine where …

Treatment And Evolution Of Digital Rights: A Comparative Analysis Of China, Russia, The United States, And Germany, Karina Barbesino

Honors Program Theses

The internet and digital technologies allow for the recognition, advocation, and protection of human rights. People around the world have access to faster and exponentially more information than ever before. The possibilities for education, politics, healthcare, work, and equality have greatly expanded. The internet provides new opportunities for the progression of humanity, but not without a cost. The transformative power of the internet to both empower and infringe on human rights has not been lost on states. As a relatively new domain, the policies in cyberspace remain in their trial periods. Each state is implementing, redacting, and implementing again policies …

Chinese Government’S Inability To Use Film – One Of The Most Powerful Cultural Tools Of Soft Power Expansion – To Achieve Its Soft Power Expansion Goals: Lessons For China To Tackle Its Soft Power-Deficit Problem, Kyungin Kim

International Political Economy Theses

Many scholars of Chinese soft power commonly believe that despite the fact that China has been working hard to achieve successful soft power expansion, one of the biggest factors that leads to Chinese soft power deficit or failure of the Chinese government to effectively trump “China threat” is its inability to use its cultural industries as a tool to fulfill its soft power expansion goals. This is a major obstacle to China in achieving its goal of successful Chinese soft power expansion, as it is said that culture is the most traditional and powerful source of soft power expansion. This …

Social Stability And Promotion In The Communist Party Of China, Siniša Mirić

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Communist Party of China CCP) controls all political, economic, and military issues in China. In the absence of elections, the only route of recruitment at higher levels of the political hierarchy in the Party is an official promotion. The scholarship on promotions offers two main explanations for advancement inside the Communist Party of China: (i) informal connections between high officials and candidates, and (ii) merit of candidates. This scholarship disregards, however, the importance of achievement of political targets by the candidates, specifically, their ability to deliver social stability.

Like every authoritarian regime, the CCP faces threats from the masses …

From Fact To Fiction: The Wuxia Experience And The Wushu Practice, Kadien S. Hill

Honors College Theses

Since its beginnings in China, martial arts have intrigued people with its mastery over mind and body, from the Shaolin monk practices of hand-to-hand combat and body conditioning to folktales of martial heroes with their mastery of swordplay and their almost superhuman-like fighting abilities. Martial arts have fascinated and astonished people in China for centuries, and since their introduction to the West they have captivated other cultures the world over. Their intrigue has caused them to penetrate entertainment circles through novelization early on. Chinese classics such as Water Margin and The Seven Heroes and the Five Gallants solidified martial arts …