China s rise is one of the defining transformations of the modern world. But military strength, technological ambition, economic power and political influence tell only part of the story. To understand what Beijing is doing, we must first understand how the Chinese Communist Party thinks about power itself. Since taking power in 1949, the Chinese Communist Party has remained at the centre of China s political life. Under Xi Jinping, however, the reach and ambition of the Party have become impossible to overlook. Economic development, technological innovation, education, national security, diplomacy and military power are increasingly coordinated in pursuit of a larger national project; one whose ambitions extend far beyond China s borders. In Forging Order, the authors and editors reveal the doctrine helping to shape that project: Comprehensive National Power. Drawing on generations of Chinese Communist Party doctrine, Forging Order examines how Beijing brings together military strength, industrial capacity, technological leadership, economic influence and political power as interconnected instruments of national strategy. From the Belt and Road Initiative and China's growing presence in Africa to military pressure on Taiwan and the intensifying competition over artificial intelligence, seemingly disparate developments emerge as pieces of a much larger strategic picture. The book also examines the United Front Work Department (UFWD) and the networks through which the Party seeks to cultivate relationships, shape perceptions and build constituencies sympathetic to Beijing s interests beyond China. In democratic societies, these activities raise difficult questions about political influence, economic relationships, community organizations and the resilience of open institutions. At its heart is a contest between two profoundly different conceptions of political power: one that concentrates authority in the Party and state, and another in which governments can be challenged, leaders replaced and institutions held accountable by the citizens they serve. Forging Order argues that until the United States and its allies understand China as Beijing understands itself, they risk recognizing the individual moves on the geopolitical chessboard while missing the strategy connecting them. The challenge is therefore greater than determining which nation will become the dominant power of the twenty-first century. It is deciding what kind of political order will shape the world and the freedoms of those who live in it.