부산대학교 도서관

Protection of overseas citizens is one of the core tasks of diplomacy for a sovereign state, and at the same time provides a justification to use force against other states. This paper examines the possibility of China's attempt to expand its military power in the name of protecting overseas citizens and the international political implications of doing so. The following conclusions can be drawn. First, China established a domestic legal basis for using force to protect overseas citizens. This is evident in the ｢National Defense Law｣ revised in 2020, the ｢National Security Law｣ enacted in 2015, and the ｢Outline order on non-war military activities｣ signed by President Xi Jinping in 2022. The agreement between China and the Solomon Islands is an example of the Chinese government's willingness to expand its military influence by promoting the protection of overseas citizens. We need to carefully watch to see if China builds overseas military bases or directly deploys troops to protect overseas citizens and companies as it implements policies such as The Belt and Road initiative. China's strengthening of 'Protection of Citizens Abroad' will lead to its military influence projection, which is expected to emerge as another source of conflict in U.S.-China relations.