Auteur de la note

Nicolas Mesa

Nicolas Mesa graduated from Sciences Po Bordeaux in 2024 with a degree in International Politics (with honors), specializing in China. A native Chinese speaker (C1 level, currently preparing for the HSK5), he completed two study abroad programs at Nanjing University—in 2019–2020 and again in early 2024—where he wrote an English-language thesis on Chinese foreign policy since 1978 under the supervision of Marc Julienne, a researcher at IFRI. In 2023–2024, he interned at the American Chamber of Commerce in Paris, contributing to Sino-European economic intelligence and the organization of institutional meetings. He will further this experience with an internship at the consulting firm ESL Rivington starting in July 2025, focusing on public affairs. Beyond his academic and professional experience, Nicolas is actively involved in the non-profit sector. Since 2023, he has assisted Chinese nationals with administrative procedures in Mandarin through the associations Chinese in France – French in China and Pierre Ducerf. In May 2025, he won third place in the Chinese Bridge competition, which included a speech, written exam, and artistic performance. His main interests include intercultural relations, public policy, and economic and cultural exchanges between France and China.

Autres analyses

Financial Soft Power? Perceptions of Capital Account Liberalisation in China • Amelia Zajączkowska

10 November 2025 No Comments

PDF | Financial Soft Power? Amelia Zajączkowska was awarded fourth prize of Prix Asia Centre for its essay “Financial Soft Power? Perceptions of Capital Account Liberalisation in China”. Find the

South Korea’s Pragmatic Turn: President Lee Jae-Myung and the Recalibration of Foreign Policy in 2025 • Arnaud Leveau, PhD

5 November 2025 No Comments

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China’s Approach to the Law of the Sea A Maritime Power Instrumentalizing International Norms • Aroun Anissa, Collignon Justine, Issolah Mila

30 October 2025 No Comments

PDF | China’s Approach to the Law of the Sea Anissa Aroun, Justine Collignon and Mila Issolah were awarded second prize of Prix Asia Centre for their essay “China’s Approach to

Chinese Foreign Policy under Xi Jinping: The Foreign Policy Function of Chinese Private Security Companies • Nicolas Mesa

Nicolas Mesa was awarded third prize of Prix Asia Centre for its essay “Chinese Foreign Policy under Xi Jinping: The Foreign Policy Function of Chinese Private Security Companies”.

Find the full essay via the PDF button above.

The aim of this paper is to offer a new perspective on China’s foreign policy since Xi Jinping’s accession to power during the 18^th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 2012. Through the lens of Neoclassical Realism (NCR), it seeks to explain Xi Jinping’s foreign policy oscillations between pragmatism and ideology. While many existing studies analyze China’s behavior through classical realist paradigms, this paper proposes an alternative framework. Only a few studies have applied the NCR approach, such as Thomas J. Christensen in his book The China Challenge^[1] or Camilla T. N. Sørensen in her article “Is China becoming more aggressive?.”^[2]

The objective of NCR is to “bridge identities” between domestic factors and foreign policy posture.^[3] Without succumbing to the pitfalls of Innenpolitik, where foreign policy is wholly dictated by domestic factors, the NCR approach emphasizes the interdependence between internal dynamics and a state’s external posture.

While maintaining the core structure of Kenneth Waltz’s structural realism, NCR expands the analysis by incorporating two of the four intervening variables outlined by Taliaferro, Ripsman, and Lobell in their book Neoclassical Realist Theory of International Politics: leaders’ images and strategic cultures^[4].

Essay’s summary:

Introduction
- - Theoretical Definitions
  - Neoclassical Realism: Bridging Domestic and International Factors in China’s Foreign Policy Since Xi Jinping
Enriching Structural Realism: The Intervening Variables of NCR a Link with the Domestic Context
- Section 1 – Leader’s Images: Xi Jinping as the New “Helmsman” of China
- Section 2 – Strategic Cultures: Navigating Between Historical Grievances and Rational Threat Assessment
  - China and the West : an Enduring Strategic Antagonism
  - The People’s Liberation Army as the Spearhead of National Rejuvenation under Xi Jinping

Chinese Foreign Policy under Xi Jinping: The Foreign Policy Function of Chinese Private Security Companies • Nicolas Mesa

[1] Christensen (ThomasJ.), The China Challenge: Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power. USA, WW Norton & Co, 2016, 400 pages.
[2] Sørensen (CamillaTN.), Is China Becoming More Aggressive? A Neoclassical Realist Analysis. Asian Perspective, 2013, Vol. 37, N°.3, 22 pages.
[3] Foulon (Michiel), Neoclassical Realism : Challengers and Bridging Identities. International Studies Review, 2015, vol.17, n°4, 28 pages.
[4] Lobell (StevenE.), Taliaferro (JeffreyW.), Ripsman. (NorrinM.), Neoclassical Realist Theory of International Politics. USA, Oxford University Press, 2016, 196 pages.