Do China’s Foreign Policy Experts Matter? How?

Contrary to the belief that experts in authoritarian systems merely echo state priorities, the influence of China's foreign policy community is far more dynamic. An expert's impact depends not just on their institutional closeness to the party-state, but critically on how strongly the leadership signals a demand for their input on a specific issue. This means even experts from think tanks distant from the central government can shape policy, as seen when their ideas on global economic governance reform were adopted because the state actively sought their input. Ultimately, this interplay creates a fluctuating environment where even less-connected scholars can gain influence when their expertise is needed, while closely-affiliated ones can be sidelined.