Synthesis Paper: Velvet glove, iron fist: Understanding China's use of state threats

This briefing provides an overview of the scale, scope and nature of the challenge posed by Chinese state threats, drawing on research published in the SOC ACE Research Paper, Old Wine, New Bottles? The Challenge of State Threats. The research examines the activities of the four main states seeking to revise the international order: Russia, Iran, North Korea and China (hereafter referred to as “the revisionist states”). However, it recognises the particular importance of China. One of the most populous countries in the world, China is probably the only state capable of challenging the US across a full spectrum of economic, political and military power.