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Multilateralism With Chinese Characteristics

by Eric Olander
Chinese President Xi Jinping addressing the fifth annual meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Photo via Xinhua.

“Multilateralism” is undeniably Xi Jinping’s favorite word these days. If he’s scheduled to give an address with even a hint of foreign policy in it, you can put money down that you’re going to hear that word or some variant of it. Just this week, in his comments to the annual gathering of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the president said it no less than six times in an eight-paragraph speech!

And since he loves that word so much, all of his subordinates do too. So, we’re hearing a lot these days about how China wholeheartedly embraces multilateralism and wants to engage with the outside world.

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