Attention politics and China's role transformation in global health partnerships

Abstract China's role in global health governance has evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic, sparking academic discussion. Most literature focuses on the structural factors shaping China's participation in global health governance at the international level, with fewer studies addressing China's domestic ideational factors. This article aims to integrate these two levels of analysis by examining how China's domestic political system has shaped the transformation of its role in global health governance using the concept of ‘politics of attention’. Through a case-study of global health partnerships (GHPs), the article argues that China's role transformation in such partnerships is attributable to a policy outcome driven by shifts in Beijing's attention in response to external shocks, facilitated through resource mobilization and allocation. Moreover, the article explores the limitations of China's participation in GHPs during the pandemic as a non-western power; these limitations arose primarily from competition between different channels for Chinese global health participation; the various internal and external obstacles faced by Chinese corporations; and criticisms surrounding the efficacy of Chinese-produced vaccines and medical products.