Better Late Than Never: China’s Development of a Formalized Sanctions Regime

TY - CHAP

T1 - Better Late Than Never: China’s Development of a Formalized Sanctions Regime

AU - Tzinieris, Sarah

PY - 2025/4/19

Y1 - 2025/4/19

N2 - In the evolving landscape of global sanctions, China has emerged as a significant player, formalizing its approach to economic coercion with the passage of key legislation, notably the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law (AFSL). This legislation provides a legal framework for Beijing to respond assertively to foreign sanctions, signalling a strategic shift in China’s statecraft. Despite its recent formalization efforts, China’s execution of sanctions enforcement remains limited, primarily focusing on perceived national security threats, such as Western arms sales to Taiwan. However, the normative implications of China's entry into the sanctions space are profound, reflecting its aspirations as an emerging great power. This chapter traces the historical context of China's sanctions experience, examines the legal framework, and explores the relationship between China’s sanctions policy and its broader grand strategy. Through extensive research and analysis, this chapter contributes to understanding China's evolving role in global sanctions statecraft and the implications of its sanctions strategy on international relations.

AB - In the evolving landscape of global sanctions, China has emerged as a significant player, formalizing its approach to economic coercion with the passage of key legislation, notably the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law (AFSL). This legislation provides a legal framework for Beijing to respond assertively to foreign sanctions, signalling a strategic shift in China’s statecraft. Despite its recent formalization efforts, China’s execution of sanctions enforcement remains limited, primarily focusing on perceived national security threats, such as Western arms sales to Taiwan. However, the normative implications of China's entry into the sanctions space are profound, reflecting its aspirations as an emerging great power. This chapter traces the historical context of China's sanctions experience, examines the legal framework, and explores the relationship between China’s sanctions policy and its broader grand strategy. Through extensive research and analysis, this chapter contributes to understanding China's evolving role in global sanctions statecraft and the implications of its sanctions strategy on international relations.

U2 - 10.1007/978-981-96-3073-8_11

DO - 10.1007/978-981-96-3073-8_11

M3 - Chapter

SP - 209

EP - 229

BT - Asian Powerplay: Decoding the Chessboard of Asian Geopolitics

A2 - Nandy, Debasish

A2 - Das, Monojit

PB - Palgrave Macmillan

ER -