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The global political economy is on a structural transformation, transitioning from a United States (US)-centric paradigm toward a fragmented, multipolar reality. This Volume 12, Issue 1 of Contemporary Chinese Political Economy and Strategic Relations continues the journal’s systematic exploration of these shifts, building directly upon the theoretical foundations established in our previous issues.

In Volume 11, No. 1 (2025), we introduced the Strategic-Relational Approach (SRA) to examine how the Indo-Pacific’s “strategically selective” structures privilege certain regional responses while constraining others. Volume 11, No. 2 (2025), expanded this into Perceptual Geo-economics, probing how China’s economic strategies and media narratives co-produce influence. This current issue integrates these perspectives into a unified framework of Multilevel Strategic Agency, exploring how states, subnational provinces, and private firms exercise “strategic activism” to navigate the constraints of major-power rivalry.