ABSTRACT
In the modern context, domestic and international politics are as bilateral as trade agreements. It is not unexpected for countries to pursue self-interest and domestic agendas, rather it is the obligation of each government to the people it represents. Command states such as China practice forward planning and coordination of resources: their multilateral strategy for the region is like a chess game played simultaneously with and against multiple opponents. Two of these multilateral strategies, The New Silk Road and High Speed Rail Diplomacy, cut across land and sea into every continent. China's dual synchronous approach to domestic and foreign affairs is evidenced in its policies of Harmonious Society and Soft Power Politics, a unified domestic front and consensus building at APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation), ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), and other international bodies; the OBOR strategy of domestic, international, and intercontinental construction of rail, road, and maritime channels; and FTZs the alignment of domestic financial policies to international norms.
