China's Economic Diplomacy and International Relations

China’s pursuit of economic diplomacy has evolved into a comprehensive framework intertwining trade, investment and strategic influence across the globe. Anchored by the Belt and Road Initiative and supported by multilateral institutions such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Beijing leverages state-led finance, free-trade agreements and state-owned enterprises to forge new ties with both developed and emerging economies. This approach combines infrastructure provision, resource partnerships and digital connectivity under the rubric of “win-win” cooperation, while also advancing Chinese norms in areas such as governance, development and sustainability. Parallel strands of engagement, including South–South cooperation and targeted aid in regions from Africa to Central and Eastern Europe, reflect a deepening of China’s global footprint. At the same time, China’s diplomatic posture adapts to shifting international dynamics—from pandemic response and vaccine diplomacy to climate-change collaboration—seeking to balance great-power competition with institutional innovation. The result is a multifaceted economic diplomacy that shapes, and is shaped by, global power rearrangements, domestic priorities and normative debates over sovereignty, debt and development models.

Research from Nature Portfolio

No recent Nature Portfolio content available.

China's Economic Diplomacy and International Relations publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in china's economic diplomacy and international relations across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Belt and Road Initiative (BRI): A global infrastructure and investment strategy launched by China to enhance connectivity and cooperation among Eurasian, African and Oceanian countries.

South–South Cooperation: Collaborative economic and technical assistance among developing countries, often emphasising mutual benefit and non-conditionality.

Vaccine Diplomacy: The use of vaccine provision and related health assistance as tools of foreign policy to build goodwill and influence.

Normative Power: The capacity to shape international norms and standards through the projection of values, principles and practices.

References

1. An Epochal Moment? The COVID‐19 Pandemic and China's International Order Building. World Affairs (2020).
2. Locating the ‘South’ in China’s connectivity politics. Third World Quarterly (2020).
3. The Chinese South-South development cooperation: an assessment of its structural transformation. Revista Brasileira de Política Internacional (2020).
4. More than Meets the Eye: Understanding Perceptions of China Beyond the Favorable–Unfavorable Dichotomy. Studies in Comparative International Development (2021).