Read the full essay here.
Beijing’s pragmatic efforts to protect its regime and pursue its interests abroad have a negative impact on the fate of democracy in six ways. China encourages authoritarian regimes elsewhere by the power of example. In burnishing its national image abroad, Chinese propaganda promotes authoritarian values. China and other authoritarian states learn techniques of rule from one another. China works against democracy in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. China promotes the survival of authoritarian regimes that are key economic and strategic partners. And Beijing seeks to shape international human rights and other institutions to make them “regime-type-neutral” instead of prodemocratic.