The relaunch of China and the World comes at a particularly important moment for China studies. As China’s domestic transformation becomes increasingly intertwined with shifts in the international system, it is no longer sufficient to study Chinese politics, economics, society, or foreign policy in isolation. The journal seeks to fill an important niche by focusing specifically on the two-way relationship between developments inside China and China’s interactions with the wider world: how domestic changes shape its international behavior, and how global forces, in turn, reshape China. This approach is especially valuable amid intensifying geopolitical competition and increasingly polarized debates about China. By bringing together scholars from different regions, academic traditions, and perspectives, while emphasizing rigorous evidence and policy-relevant research, China and the World has the potential to become an important forum for a more multidimensional understanding of China’s evolving global role.
In this interview, Taiyi Sun, Associate Professor of Political Science at Christopher Newport University and Executive Editor of “Global China,” speaks with Professor Zhiqun Zhu, Editor-in-Chief of “China and the World.” Dr. Zhu, Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Bucknell University, shares key insights into the journal’s recent relaunch, its core publishing philosophy of bridging Chinese domestic developments and global dynamics, and its future direction amidst evolving geopolitical landscapes.
Taiyi Sun (TS): You took over as Editor-in-Chief of China and the World in 2025. First, could you share what brought you to this role? In your view, why is an international academic journal centered on the theme of “China and the World” particularly needed right now?
Zhiqun Zhu (ZZ): Becoming the Editor-in-Chief of China and the World was perhaps a twist of fate. Over the past two decades, I have built a very pleasant and close working relationship with World Scientific Publishing in Singapore, and I have published ten English monographs and edited volumes with them.
Based on our long-term collaboration and mutual trust, a senior executive publisher from World Scientific approached me in 2024, inviting me to get involved with their publication of English language journals to help expand their global influence. They gave me a few journals related to Asia and China to choose from and asked me to serve as Editor-in-Chief. At the time, China and the World: Ancient and Modern Silk Roadhappened to be on hiatus and was looking for a new chief editor. I picked it and took the plunge. I proposed dropping “Ancient and Modern Silk Road” from the title and shortening it to simply China and the World. This would retain continuity with its past while rebranding for a fresh start. The publisher agreed.
I didn’t overthink it at the time. I simply felt that as China’s national strength grows, its diplomatic influence will continue to expand, which happens to align with my primary research interests. Focusing on China’s relations with the outside world, this relaunched journal fills a gap in China studies to some extent. I saw great potential, so I officially assumed the Editor-in-Chief role in 2025. What I didn’t anticipate back then was just how much time, energy, and unpaid hard work running an academic journal would actually require.
TS: China and the World is not a publication built entirely from scratch. It was previously published under the title China and the World: Ancient and Modern Silk Road, focusing heavily on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). What considerations went into this repositioning and simplifying the title? Does this mark an expansion of scope, a brand refresh, or a deeper shift in editorial strategy?
ZZ: Indeed, the predecessor of China and the World was China and the World: Ancient and Modern Silk Road. Shortly after the Chinese government launched the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013, Professor Kok Khoo Phua, the visionary founder of World Scientific Publishing, hit it off with Professor Da-Hsuan Feng, then Vice Rector of the University of Macau. They decided to publish the world’s first English-language academic journal dedicated to BRI research. Admirably, despite their packed schedules, they personally curated and edited submissions, officially launching the quarterly China and the World: Ancient and Modern Silk Road in 2018. It published works by prominent scholars like Wang Gungwu, Prasenjit Duara, and Zheng Yongnian, generating considerable interest. As both founders advanced in age, they gradually stepped back, and the journal paused publication in 2024 after producing seven volumes.
When I was invited to serve as Editor-in-Chief in 2025, I began planning its future. The new journal honors its legacy while carving out a distinct path. The main difference lies in broadening the scope, updating the editorial strategy, and keeping pace with changing times by closely examining the interaction between China’s domestic dynamics and its foreign relations. Our goal is to build a new brand as the world’s first journal dedicated to the study of multidimensional interactions between China’s domestic politics, economy, society, culture, and the outside world. Thanks to the hard work of our editorial board members across the globe, we successfully released the first issue of the revamped journal (Volume 8, Issue 1 overall) in mid-2026. Two issues have been published so far, with a third scheduled before the end of this year. Starting in 2027, it will be published quarterly.
I received immense support during the relaunch. Dr. Da-Hsuan Feng was very encouraging of my research and editorial direction. Senior scholars like Professor Quansheng Zhao had long conversations with me and offered many practical suggestions. Professor David Shambaugh cheered me on and readily agreed to contribute an article. Other renowned scholars—including Li Cheng, Li Mingjiang, Zeng Ka, M. Taylor Fravel, Scott L. Kastner, and Robert Ross—also expressed strong support. I am deeply grateful to these colleagues for their encouragement during the journal’s initial phase.
TS: “China and the World” is a broad subject. How do you conceptualize the relationship between “China” and “the World”? What is the core mission of the journal?
ZZ: This journal differs from traditional “China Studies” publications. Traditional China studies often focuses on Chinese history, culture, politics, economics, society, or diplomacy as isolated subjects. We aim to connect these “dots” into a comprehensive “plane,” examining the dynamic interaction between China’s internal developments and the outside world. We emphasize how domestic political, economic, and social trends shape foreign policy, while also looking at how global shifts impact China’s internal trajectory. We hope to move beyond traditional China studies by exploring the bi-directional, mutually shaping interactions between China and the international system. This is an underexplored yet highly meaningful area of study, providing a vast stage for our journal.
China and the World is a peer-reviewed English academic journal dedicated to exploring the multifaceted, evolving relationship between China and global society. Put simply, our core mission is to bridge Chinese domestic developments with global dynamics, offering a platform for rigorous, policy-relevant research.
TS: There are already several established English-language journals covering Chinese politics, foreign policy, and international relations—such as The China Quarterly, Journal of Contemporary China, China: An International Journal, and The Chinese Journal of International Politics. How do you envision China and the World positioning itself within this academic landscape?
ZZ: The journals you mentioned have established track records and distinct strengths; I read them regularly. As a newcomer, China and the World has much to learn from them. However, we have no intention of copying them or competing with them directly. Our primary focus is building our own identity and brand: publishing original research on the interplay between China’s internal dynamics and its external relations. Being in our early stage, our priority is to raise awareness in the academic community so scholars know there is a dedicated platform for original, policy-relevant work on China’s global interactions.
For example, China has extensive overseas investments. An article might analyze how a specific Chinese investment policy is formed, how it impacts a project in a specific country or region, and how local feedback prompts Chinese actors to refine their policies and implementation on the ground. That represents a clear pattern of interaction between China and the world. Such analytical pieces are ideal for our publication, and we hope authors will think of us first for this kind of work. Of course, since China-outside world interactions take many forms, we maintain a very open policy regarding topic selection.
We follow a double-blind peer review process, maintaining relatively short review and revision cycles. Backed by an efficient editorial and publishing team at World Scientific, authors will likely find a faster path to publication with us than with many other journals.
TS: The topics and authors in the first two issues cover a wide range of issues—including China’s relations with the US, Japan, ASEAN, Europe, Australia, and Central Asia, as well as broader questions on international order and China’s global status. Could this curated spread be considered an “academic manifesto” for the relaunch? What key message did you hope to convey through these initial selections?
ZZ: I wouldn’t call it a “manifesto,” but the first two issues do reflect our editorial direction: showcasing research on China’s interactions across different regions. This is precisely the brand image we want to build.
In addition to full-length research articles, we also publish shorter policy commentaries similar to those in Foreign Affairs. Scholars are busy people and don’t always have time to write lengthy monographs. Our 3,000–4,000-word policy commentaries give them an outlet for shorter articles, and we warmly welcome such submissions.
Furthermore, we welcome book reviews of around 1,200–1,500 words. Authors can choose recently published books on China and submit reviews directly to us. If an author is interested in reviewing a specific new title, they can also reach out to us, and we can request a review copy from the publisher on their behalf.
TS: Global academic discussions about China are increasingly influenced by great-power competition, ideological divides, and securitized narratives—sometimes reducing complex debates to binary “pro-China” or “anti-China” labels. In this environment, what role should an academic journal studying China and the world play?
ZZ: Academic research could be easily affected or even disrupted by external factors, especially given the current great-power rivalry and ideological polarization. As a journal edited by an ethnic Chinese scholar and published in Singapore—a predominantly ethnic Chinese society—we might be put under a microscope by some observers, particularly in the West. If people insist on applying labels, there isn’t much we can do about it. Professor David Shambaugh shared a similar concern during one of our conversations.
Our response is to uphold shared academic standards, solid evidence, and rigorous peer review, letting facts speak for themselves. Our editorial board consists of serious, respected scholars from around the world, and our peer reviewers are leading experts in their fields. There is no “pro-China” or “anti-China” division within our editorial team, nor do we engage in ideological disputes. As a new journal, we strive to serve as an objective window for the international academic community to observe China and understand its global interactions from multiple angles. We welcome contributions from scholars of different countries, academic traditions, and political perspectives. We evaluate submissions purely on their academic merit and writing quality.
TS: A journal truly dedicated to “China and the World” needs international representation among its contributors. What plans do you have regarding the diversity of authors, board members, and reviewers?
ZZ: Our current editorial team includes members from North America, Asia, and Europe. We will continue to enhance our international standing by consolidating the editorial board and inviting more non-Western scholars as reviewers.
The authors published so far also represent diverse regions worldwide. We particularly welcome contributions from scholars in the Global South. We are also eager to support early-career researchers, providing academic space for young scholars and emerging research topics.
TS: Looking ahead three to five years, what key emerging yet understudied topics do you hope China and the World will address? What are your broader goals for the journal?
ZZ: We are interested in a wide range of topics, such as US-China competition and international order transformation, the Global South, environmental governance, technology and AI, cybersecurity, supply chains and economic security, climate change, public health, demographic crises, and the links between China’s domestic changes and its international behavior in general. Given our publisher’s location in Singapore, we also pay special attention to research regarding China-Southeast Asia relations.
For me, running a journal is an ongoing process of learning and exploration. We must keep our feet on the ground rather than chase unrealistic goals. Academic journals today face competition not only for quality content, but also from challenges like open access, database indexing, digital distribution, citation metrics, and the impact of AI on traditional publishing models.
For an international English journal making a fresh start, I believe a crucial indicator of progress over the next three to five years will be establishing visibility and academic reputation. Once you have visibility, high-quality submissions and citations naturally follow. Because the journal is brand new, it currently lacks an impact factor or database rankings, but we hope to make significant strides on these metrics over the next three to five years. Five years from now, I hope that when scholars mention China and the World, they will recognize it as a top-tier journal for research on China’s global interactions. That is our target. For now, our focus remains on maintaining strict academic quality while expanding our reach to attract high-quality submissions. As the saying goes, “many hands make light work”—we warmly invite members of the global academic community to support China and the World and submit their manuscripts.