The process by which China makes its foreign policy is often considered to be something of a black box, or at least very difficult for outsiders to discern. 

Suiseng Zhao is a professor of International Studies and director of the Center for China-US Cooperation at the University of Denver. He has written extensively about the tapestry of Chinese institutions that inform foreign policy decision making, and in this conversation explains the key players that shape how Chinese foreign policy is made.