Maritime Ambitions: China’s Emerging Great Power Identity and Its Strategies in BBNJ Agreement Negotiations

Abstract This article examines China’s strategic maneuvers within the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) agreement negotiations, highlighting its role as an emerging great power in shaping international maritime law and governance. The BBNJ initiative, crucial for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, presents an arena where China’s diplomatic, strategic, and legal tactics converge to enhance its influence on the global stage. Through a detailed analysis of the negotiation phases and China’s interactions with other states, this study explores how China, while operating under its status as a developing country—a stance recognized globally—effectively wields its ascending power to shape negotiation outcomes that serve its strategic national interests. China’s approach in the BBNJ agreement discussions demonstrates a sophisticated integration of traditional values, strategic alliances, and selective engagement with international norms, ensuring that new legal frameworks do not undermine existing agreements or its maritime ambitions. This article sheds light on China’s influence in shaping the BBNJ agreement while offering insights into the broader implications of its strategies for other emerging powers in international environmental governance. Although advancing national interests is a common goal for all nations in multilateral negotiations, this article emphasizes the distinctive strategies China employs—integrating traditional values, forging strategic alliances, and adopting selective engagement—to effectively shape outcomes and safeguard its strategic objectives.