China's Strategic Multilateralism

Applying insights from cutting-edge theories of international cooperation, this study brings new understanding to China's approach to contemporary global challenges.

China sometimes shows leadership in organizing global challenges, but its role can be less constructive. This book engages students of international relations and China with a theory of how rising powers approach international cooperation strategically, illustrated with case studies of Central Asia, nuclear proliferation, international finance, and climate change.China sometimes plays a leadership role in addressing global challenges, but at other times it free rides or even spoils efforts at cooperation. When will rising powers like China help to build and maintain international regimes that sustain cooperation on important issues, and when will they play less constructive roles? This study argues that the strategic setting of a particular issue area has a strong influence on whether and how a rising power will contribute to global governance. Two strategic variables are especially important: the balance of outside options the rising power and established powers face, and whether contributions by the rising power are viewed as indispensable to regime success. Case studies of China's approach to security in Central Asia, nuclear proliferation, global financial governance, and climate change illustrate the logic of the theory, which has implications for contemporary issues such as China's growing role in development finance.