Abstract :
In this globalized world, the main obstruction of international mobility no longer comes from economic or physical constraints, but from the legal constraints imposed by the states in the form of passport and visa. However, the issuance of passport and visa have generated inequal rights in international mobility, as some passports enjoy higher freedom of mobility than others. This condition gave rise to the term ?Passport Power? which is measured by the number of countries that can be entered by certain passport holders without enclosing a pre-departure visa. Nevertheless, passport power cannot be not solely determined by the states? possession of material power, which can be seen in the case of China?s passport. China?s passport is considered as powerless, especially towards the OECD members. Although China plays an important role as the OECD?s top source of investment and tourists sender, none of the OECD members grant visa exemption or VoA access to China?s passport holders. Therefore, this research aims to address the question as to why do all of the OECD members not grant visa-free access to Chinese passport holders, albeit China?s possession of economic power in the form of investment and tourist source. To answer this, the author utilizes two interconnecting theoretical frameworks, namely: (1) international order and its role in shaping states? behavior; and (2) international recognition and its impact on freedom of mobility of certain nationalities. The author argues that China?s passport powerlessness is affected by some factors beyond its domestic conditions. With this regard, the author discovers that China?s passport powerlessness towards the OECD countries is linked to its position as a challenger of the liberal international order. The challenger-label subsequently leads to the misrecognition of China?s power, in which it is perceived as a threat to the international status quo. Considering the fact that the OECD countries tend to limit the grant visa-waiver to their Western allies, it can be argued that the imposition of visa restriction for China is the extended impact of China?s threat reputation.