This brief provides an overview of recent commentary from Chinese official and state-affiliated sources about China’s foreign policy made since the re-election of Donald Trump. Identifying a set of themes from publicly available material provides insight into how Beijing policymakers conceptualise international problems and the range of prevailing opinions in their immediate circles. The brief shows how the Chinese party-state wishes to be perceived and how it frames foreign policy problems for both international and domestic audiences.

An analysis of commentary from over 20 individual academics and one think tank – all of which have an affiliation with or work for state-funded research institutes in addition to their university roles – shows a range of generally moderate views.

Themes in Chinese official pronouncements on key international issues from 7 November to 3 December 2024 include: the rules-based international order, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Taiwan and the Tech war with the USA.