6. Conclusions: Rethinking Think Tanks in Contemporary China

The Chinese state and its institutional development have been central to the study of think tanks in China. In this light, this chapter reviews major issues raised in the book through a brief but comparative analysis of the case studies presented in the previous chapters. Similarly, the chapter questions the main challenges and innovations, as well as limitations that have emerged vis-à-vis the knowledge research scenario in contemporary China. The conclusion remarks on both the external and internal factors contributing to the development of Chinese think tanks in the last decade, among which are the new plan by the Xi Jinping administration to set up think tanks with Chinese characteristics, China’s growing presence as an actor in global affairs, and the growing internationalization process that has occurred in the think-tank sector.