Talking the Party Line: Private Chinese Companies Between State Alignment and Business Interests

Abstract This article examines the relationship between China’s 100 largest private companies by revenue and its foreign policy. Prior research has focused on the role of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in advancing China’s foreign policy, leaving the roles of private firms understudied. Yet, as private Chinese companies have become central to the US-China technological competition and increasingly important for China’s foreign relations, it is high time to learn more about their foreign policy engagement. Drawing on literature on state-business relations and links between societal actors and the state under authoritarian rule, this article contributes a novel approach to conceptualize how private companies engage with foreign policy rhetoric, which focuses on whether firms’ or the state’s interests are prioritized and firms’ mode of participation in foreign policy. The article finds that representatives from private Chinese companies mostly present their firms as implementers of China’s foreign policy. To a far lesser extent, they present them as policy advocates, beneficiaries, and supporters. Private firms emphasize their contributions to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), international cooperation, global development, and national rejuvenation. Their support is expressed through praise for the BRI, alignment with the government’s worldview, and commitment to China’s international goals. Only a few companies subtly advocate for policy changes to enhance trade. Overall, representatives from private Chinese companies exhibit a strong rhetorical alignment with China’s foreign policy. This research advances understanding of state-business relations in authoritarian settings and provides a conceptual framework for analyzing how societal actors engage with state policies in such regimes.