In the era of globalization, law is not only a tool for domestic control—it can also serve as a means of cross-border authoritarian projection. Publicly available Chinese government documents reveal that the CCP has constructed a systematic, institutionalized “law and ideology export” framework aimed at extending its reach beyond China’s borders. This article examines the strategy across legal provisions, judicial interpretations, national security law, legal education and research, and international dissemination.
1. Legal Provisions: Establishing the Basis for Cross-Border Control
Article 8 of the Criminal Law of the PRC states:
“Where a foreigner commits a crime outside the territory of the People’s Republic of China against the state or citizens of China, and the minimum punishment under this law is imprisonment of three years or more, this law may be applied.”
This allows China to assert jurisdiction over actions that occur abroad but affect China or Chinese citizens, creating legal cover for cross-border interventions.
Judicial Interpretation (Fa Shi [2021] No.1) further expands “place of crime” to cyberspace: server locations, network providers, victim systems, users, and property loss sites. In other words, any online connection can be claimed as a Chinese crime scene, vastly extending extraterritorial reach.
The Criminal Procedure Law and related interpretations (Articles 291 & 599) allow foreign defendants to be tried in absentia if evidence is complete, institutionalizing cross-border prosecution mechanisms.
2. National Security Law: Legalizing Mass Mobilization and Authoritarian Control
The National Security Law states:
“Citizens and organizations have the responsibility and obligation to safeguard national security… They should be broadly mobilized to prevent, stop, and punish acts endangering national security.”
This law not only incorporates the entire population into the national security framework but also legitimizes authoritarian mobilization, making any individual potentially an instrument or target of state control.
3. Legal Education and Research: Ideological Domination and Talent Production
The CCP General Office and State Council issued “Opinions on Strengthening Legal Education and Legal Theory Research in the New Era”, which mandates that legal education must be guided by Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law:
“Deeply study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, fully occupy the field of legal education and legal theory research, and guide students and scholars to become firm believers, active disseminators, and model practitioners of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law.”
Key goals include:
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Optimizing the legal disciplines: Updating constitutional law, criminal law, civil and commercial law, international law, technology law, climate law, maritime law, etc., and promoting cross-disciplinary integration (economics, sociology, computer science, etc.) to train globally-oriented authoritarian legal talent.
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Enhancing teaching systems: Integrating ideology, ethics, and professional conduct into practical and international training; establishing off-campus practice bases; promoting “Internet + Education” models.
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Research and think tanks: Focus on national security, technological innovation, public health, ecological civilization, risk prevention, and diplomacy; build national-level foreign law research bases to produce globally relevant research supporting CCP authoritarian strategy.
These measures consolidate domestic authoritarian control and institutionalize China’s influence over international legal norms and discourse.
4. International Dissemination: Exporting Authoritarian Legal Influence
The policy explicitly directs:
“Strengthen the international dissemination of Xi Rule-of-Law Thought, tell China’s rule-of-law story, and encourage experts and scholars to speak abroad.”
This creates a training → output → international deployment loop:
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Train domestic cadres in Xi Rule-of-Law Thought.
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Integrate ideology into courses and textbooks.
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Export ideas via conferences, visiting scholars, and research institutions.
The result is a cross-border network of legal and ideological influence, shaping global perceptions of Chinese law and projecting authoritarian authority internationally.
5. Systematic Logic: Law, Education, and International Projection
The CCP’s global authoritarian framework is structured as follows:
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Legal Provisions: Extraterritorial laws provide legal cover for cross-border enforcement.
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National Security Law: Mobilizes society to enforce authoritarian objectives.
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Legal Education and Research: Politically directed, interdisciplinary, internationally focused training of legal cadres.
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International Dissemination and Practice Bases: Converts domestic ideological training into global influence.
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Think Tanks and Research: Provide strategic, forward-looking support for CCP policy and global authoritarian projection.
This is not ad hoc; it is a systematic, institutionalized, global authoritarian project.
6. Practical Implications
Individuals or organizations labeled as “threats to national security” or “separatist forces”—whether media outlets, academics, or foreign citizens—can be targeted through these legal, educational, and institutional channels. Missing-in-person trials, cross-border accountability, and narrative shaping are all legally and organizationally codified.
7. Conclusion
Through legal provisions, judicial interpretations, national security law, systematized legal education, international dissemination, and research think tanks, the CCP has created a global authoritarian legal infrastructure. As stated in official documents:
“Adhere to the Party’s comprehensive leadership over legal education and research, advance the international dissemination of Xi Rule-of-Law Thought, and tell China’s law story.”
This system consolidates domestic authoritarian control and projects it globally, forming a comprehensive, institutionalized plan for worldwide authoritarian influence.
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