Bjørnar Sverdrup-Thygeson | The Norwegian Defence University College (original) (raw)
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Papers by Bjørnar Sverdrup-Thygeson
International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence
In Xi Jinping’s China, the top leadership is getting even more closed, whereas their decisions ca... more In Xi Jinping’s China, the top leadership is getting even more closed, whereas their decisions carry ever more global weight. Ahead of the Chinese Communist Party’s highly important 20th National Congress to be held in the late autumn of 2022, the eyes of the global Intelligence Community are turning to Beijing. How to divine what exactly is going on in the black box of Chinese elite politics at this sensitive moment? This is the million-dollar-question facing analysts of Chinese politics. We argue that there is a gap asking to be bridged between the “art” and “science” of reading Chinese elite politics, or between on the one hand, the traditional Beijingology, and on the other hand, purely academically relevant research. There is a pressing need for a “Beijingology 2.0,” combining the traditional art of the China hands with the most innovative methods and tools derived from social science research into elite studies and text analysis, respectively.
China and Nordic Diplomacy, 2017
Internasjonal Politikk, 2018
China and Nordic Diplomacy, 2017
Internasjonal Politikk, 2016
Asia Europe Journal, 2017
This chapter argues that in the case of the EU's efforts to undertake a BPivot to Asia^, added ex... more This chapter argues that in the case of the EU's efforts to undertake a BPivot to Asia^, added explanatory salience can be achieved by recognising firstly the importance of the transatlantic factor and the US' own rebalance policies. Secondly, based on a model where the USA is regarded as a significant variable in the EU-China relationship, one may more saliently discern the influence of Russia by assessing its impact on the triangular EU-China-US relationship, both directly and indirectly. Addressing these issues in European policymaking, the chapter will be constituted of two main parts. In the first section, the triangular nature of European foreign policies towards China is introduced, addressing the transatlantic factor in EU-China relations. Based on research on the European policy debates on EU's Asia policies and the American Pivot to Asia, the section will illustrate the degree to which EU policy initiatives are conceived as playing out on a range from cooperation to competition with the US' rebalance initiatives. In the second section, the chapter will proceed to investigate a factor that is affecting, although to different degrees, all three corners of the triangular political context in which European China policies are being shaped, namely the effects of recent Russian actions in the Eurasian theatre. The analysis demonstrates how European policymakers struggle to define their place in the EU-China-US triangle. The dynamics of the ongoing Asian power shift highlights the dilemmas for the European continent, as it seeks to balance its relations in a shifting geopolitical landscape.
International Politics, 2017
The rise of China as a key actor on the African continent not only challenges the Western dominan... more The rise of China as a key actor on the African continent not only challenges the Western dominance in economic and political terms, Beijing is increasingly also offering a challenge on a different level, by contesting the Eurocentric history that has underpinned the West's policies towards African countries throughout the modern era. In order to bolster the Sino-African relationship, this article argues that Beijing is propagating towards African publics a range of historical narratives about African history and the Sino-African relationship. Developing and testing a theoretical framework for analysing these historical narratives, the research finds that this Chinese history of Africa represents China's recent actions on the African continent as incarnations of a long historical tradition of friendship and anti-colonial support, thus serving the role of legitimizing Chinese policies as well as delegitimizing Western powers' economic and political strategies. Keywords China-Africa relations Á Historical narratives Á Post-colonial history Á South-South cooperation Á Discourse analysis Á FOCAC
Internasjonal Politikk, 2016
The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, 2012
Summary In the diplomatic canon, where the field has been demarcated by a central distinction dra... more Summary In the diplomatic canon, where the field has been demarcated by a central distinction drawn between suzerain and parity-based state relations, Imperial China has squarely been designated to the former category, and thereby as inherently alien to the diplomatic tradition. However, this image of a monolithic 2000-year-long rigid, hierarchical system betrays a too shallow assessment of Chinese history, and fails to acknowledge a noteworthy strain of parity-based relations running through Imperial Chinese foreign policy. This strain was at its most pronounced during the four centuries of the Song Dynasty, where China’s relations with a set of important neighbouring states were handled on egalitarian terms that were far more reminiscent of a full-fledged diplomatic multi-state system than what is popularly acknowledged. Based on a case study of the diplomatic relations of the Song Dynasty, this article argues that Imperial Chinese foreign policy on a set of occasions showed itsel...
Internasjonal Politikk, 2020
Internasjonal Politikk, 2014
wards, but also given rise to increased interest about the Russian drive to establish itself as a... more wards, but also given rise to increased interest about the Russian drive to establish itself as an increasingly Asia-oriented ‘Euro-Pacific’ power. An important factor in shaping any pivot strategy is how it is perceived by the countries towards which the pivot is sought. China’s new role as an increasingly important political partner and economic linchpin for a more Asia-oriented Russia harbours both opportunities and challenges for the Chinese side, in the latest chapter of an often conflicted historical relationship. The Chinese understanding of the character and potential of Russia’s ‘Go East’ strategy is set to have notable impact on both the outcomes of Russia’s regional development plans, and the broader economic and geopolitical environment in Eurasia.
International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence
In Xi Jinping’s China, the top leadership is getting even more closed, whereas their decisions ca... more In Xi Jinping’s China, the top leadership is getting even more closed, whereas their decisions carry ever more global weight. Ahead of the Chinese Communist Party’s highly important 20th National Congress to be held in the late autumn of 2022, the eyes of the global Intelligence Community are turning to Beijing. How to divine what exactly is going on in the black box of Chinese elite politics at this sensitive moment? This is the million-dollar-question facing analysts of Chinese politics. We argue that there is a gap asking to be bridged between the “art” and “science” of reading Chinese elite politics, or between on the one hand, the traditional Beijingology, and on the other hand, purely academically relevant research. There is a pressing need for a “Beijingology 2.0,” combining the traditional art of the China hands with the most innovative methods and tools derived from social science research into elite studies and text analysis, respectively.
China and Nordic Diplomacy, 2017
Internasjonal Politikk, 2018
China and Nordic Diplomacy, 2017
Internasjonal Politikk, 2016
Asia Europe Journal, 2017
This chapter argues that in the case of the EU's efforts to undertake a BPivot to Asia^, added ex... more This chapter argues that in the case of the EU's efforts to undertake a BPivot to Asia^, added explanatory salience can be achieved by recognising firstly the importance of the transatlantic factor and the US' own rebalance policies. Secondly, based on a model where the USA is regarded as a significant variable in the EU-China relationship, one may more saliently discern the influence of Russia by assessing its impact on the triangular EU-China-US relationship, both directly and indirectly. Addressing these issues in European policymaking, the chapter will be constituted of two main parts. In the first section, the triangular nature of European foreign policies towards China is introduced, addressing the transatlantic factor in EU-China relations. Based on research on the European policy debates on EU's Asia policies and the American Pivot to Asia, the section will illustrate the degree to which EU policy initiatives are conceived as playing out on a range from cooperation to competition with the US' rebalance initiatives. In the second section, the chapter will proceed to investigate a factor that is affecting, although to different degrees, all three corners of the triangular political context in which European China policies are being shaped, namely the effects of recent Russian actions in the Eurasian theatre. The analysis demonstrates how European policymakers struggle to define their place in the EU-China-US triangle. The dynamics of the ongoing Asian power shift highlights the dilemmas for the European continent, as it seeks to balance its relations in a shifting geopolitical landscape.
International Politics, 2017
The rise of China as a key actor on the African continent not only challenges the Western dominan... more The rise of China as a key actor on the African continent not only challenges the Western dominance in economic and political terms, Beijing is increasingly also offering a challenge on a different level, by contesting the Eurocentric history that has underpinned the West's policies towards African countries throughout the modern era. In order to bolster the Sino-African relationship, this article argues that Beijing is propagating towards African publics a range of historical narratives about African history and the Sino-African relationship. Developing and testing a theoretical framework for analysing these historical narratives, the research finds that this Chinese history of Africa represents China's recent actions on the African continent as incarnations of a long historical tradition of friendship and anti-colonial support, thus serving the role of legitimizing Chinese policies as well as delegitimizing Western powers' economic and political strategies. Keywords China-Africa relations Á Historical narratives Á Post-colonial history Á South-South cooperation Á Discourse analysis Á FOCAC
Internasjonal Politikk, 2016
The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, 2012
Summary In the diplomatic canon, where the field has been demarcated by a central distinction dra... more Summary In the diplomatic canon, where the field has been demarcated by a central distinction drawn between suzerain and parity-based state relations, Imperial China has squarely been designated to the former category, and thereby as inherently alien to the diplomatic tradition. However, this image of a monolithic 2000-year-long rigid, hierarchical system betrays a too shallow assessment of Chinese history, and fails to acknowledge a noteworthy strain of parity-based relations running through Imperial Chinese foreign policy. This strain was at its most pronounced during the four centuries of the Song Dynasty, where China’s relations with a set of important neighbouring states were handled on egalitarian terms that were far more reminiscent of a full-fledged diplomatic multi-state system than what is popularly acknowledged. Based on a case study of the diplomatic relations of the Song Dynasty, this article argues that Imperial Chinese foreign policy on a set of occasions showed itsel...
Internasjonal Politikk, 2020
Internasjonal Politikk, 2014
wards, but also given rise to increased interest about the Russian drive to establish itself as a... more wards, but also given rise to increased interest about the Russian drive to establish itself as an increasingly Asia-oriented ‘Euro-Pacific’ power. An important factor in shaping any pivot strategy is how it is perceived by the countries towards which the pivot is sought. China’s new role as an increasingly important political partner and economic linchpin for a more Asia-oriented Russia harbours both opportunities and challenges for the Chinese side, in the latest chapter of an often conflicted historical relationship. The Chinese understanding of the character and potential of Russia’s ‘Go East’ strategy is set to have notable impact on both the outcomes of Russia’s regional development plans, and the broader economic and geopolitical environment in Eurasia.