Beyond liberal narratives: China and the international human rights order

Abstract The rise of China represents a seismic shift in the field of International Relations. We examine the implications of this for the international order, with a focus on human rights. Is China seeking to undermine or replace rules and institutions that an earlier and much weaker China did not fully participate in creating? Using the UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) as a laboratory, we analyse over 93,000 recommendations made by states between 2008 and 2021. We highlight the multidimensionality of international human rights norms and provide new and systematic evidence that China, like most other countries, endorses some norms more than others. China champions social and economic rights both strongly and increasingly—a position shared by many countries, particularly in the global South. Furthermore, our analyses reveal that Chinese foreign aid flows have a significant effect on how countries in the global South review all other countries, and particularly the G7 countries. Our research underscores the geopolitical impact of China's economic statecraft on global human rights discourse.