CHINA’S “THINK TANKS”: A RESOURCE FOR GROWTH

11.09.2017

In the face of fierce global competition and the need to strengthen its international positions, the modern leadership of China has significantly changed its attitude to the role of “think tanks” in the system of public administration. Today, there is a progressive increase in the importance of the predictive and analytical component in the process of making state decisions on strategic directions of Chinese domestic and foreign policy.

Recently, the Information Center of the State Committee for Development and Reform (GKRR) The PRC has published the “Big Data Report on” One Belt, One Road “- 2017”, in which, based on the analysis of a large complex of information materials (publications, citation index, participation in scientific forums and other indicators), the rating of the most influential “think tanks” studying the Chinese initiative “One Belt, One Road”is indicated. These structures are divided into four groups:

The first group is the state scientific and analytical centers:

1. Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (KAON).
2. Development Research Center (CIR) of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China.
3. Chinese Academy of Modern Public Relations (CASMO).
4. China Institute for International Studies (CIMP).
5. Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation (AMTES) under the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China.
6. The Central Party School of the CPC.
7. The State Information Center under the GKRR.
8. Center for Research of the Modern World.
9. China Macroeconomics Research Center.
10. Institute of Geography and Natural Resources Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (KAN).

The second group is regional research institutes:

1. Shanghai Academy of International Studies (SHAMI).
2. Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences (SHAON).
3. Guangdong Institute for Strategic International Studies.
4. Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences.
5. Academy of Social Sciences of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
6. Fujian Academy of Social Sciences.
7. Guangdong Academy of Social Sciences.
8. Shaanxi Academy of Social Sciences.
9. Xinjiang Academy of Social Sciences.
10. Qinghai Academy of Social Sciences.

The third group is non-governmental and public “think tanks”.

1. The Center for International Economic Exchanges of China.
2. Scientific Center for China and Globalization Studies.
3. Scientific Society “Chakhar”.
4. Think tank “Pangu”.
5. The International Think Tank “Landi” (RDI).
6. “Forum of 100 persons of ” One belt, one way”.
7. Phoenix International Center.
8. Institute of Integrated Openness of China (Shenzhen).
9. The think tank “Liaovan”.
10. Research Center “Lingdian Yushu” (Dataway).

The fourth group is “brain” centers at universities of the People’s Republic of China:

1. Chongyang Institute of Financial Research at the People’s University of China.
2. Center for State Development Studies at Peking University.
3. Center for Research on the Economy of China and the World at Tsinghua University.
4. Silk Road Institute at Northwestern University (Xi’an).
5. The Center for Silk Road Research at the Beijing Transport University.
6. The Center for the Study of “One Belt, One Road” countries at the Second Beijing Institute of Foreign Languages.
7. The Center for the Study of the Middle East at the Shanghai Institute of Foreign Languages.
8. Center for Central Asian Studies at Lanzhou University.
9. The Center for the Study of the Maritime Silk Road at Tsinghua University.
10. The Institute of Silk Road Studies at the Beijing University of Foreign Languages.

The Kazakhstan Center for the Study of China in its practice has interacted and continues to work with most of the presented analytical centers and scientific institutes. In general, it can be noted that China is systematically increasing its intellectual resources in order to conduct a pragmatic, verified and, most importantly, effective policy. Thus, it is clear that today an extensive network of scientific and analytical structures has been formed in the People’s Republic of China with a clear hierarchy of “think tanks” and the division of spheres of influence and areas of work between them.

At the same time, there are also national peculiarities: on the instructions of the leadership of the People’s Republic of China, in 2016, new institutes and centers for the study of the Silk Road or the “One Belt, One Road”initiative began to be created in the country. So, Chinese experts have calculated that over 60 new “think tanks” on this topic have been created in China in just a year. This reflects not only the significance of President Xi’s initiative, but also the scale of the intellectual work being carried out in this country.

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