Beyond Financial Hegemony: China’s Quest for Domestic Autonomy, Creation of Global Dependencies?

China’s expanding global footprint and perceived influence raises questions about its strategic ambitions and the practices and mechanisms through which it reshapes the global financial and economic order. We are moving away from a unipolar, hegemonic moment towards a new constellation that could be characterized as inter-imperial competition. Beyond U.S. hegemony , we are increasingly observing the formation of multiple centres of power, each with its own zone of influence, as well as growing geopolitical tensions between them. In response to growing geopolitical and economic pressures, particularly Western efforts to contain the rise of China, a diverse set of actors from China has sought to enhance autonomy from incumbent powers. Autonomy, defined as the ability to make independent decisions without relying on external forces, has been central to the party-state’s strategy since the 2010s. However, this very effort has also deepened global dependencies on its economy, finance or technology, especially among states, companies, and platforms. We invite scholars to examine how Chinese political and economic actors navigate this complex relationship between autonomy and dependence amidst a changing global financial and economic order.