The Digital Yuan and the BeiDou Satellite System: China’s Increasing Structural Power in an Interdependent World

For decades, concerns over a rise of a powerful China have dominated mainstream media. China’s unprecedented economic ascent, growing voice in global decisions, and publicized industrial plans like Made in China 2025, have propelled the nation to the center of the world stage. In my thesis, I break down this subject to examine how China is attempting to increase its structural power and create new interdependencies through the buildup of certain networked technologies. Guided by foundational international political economy literature regarding structural power and interdependence, I explore the implications of two technological advancements: China’s digital yuan (DCEP), and the BeiDou satellite system on global interdependency structures. Although faced with limitations regarding international buy-in, China’s use of both the BeiDou satellite system and the DCEP systems poses credible threats to the postwar power systems dominated by the United States and could redistribute global power.