Chinese global governance as a diffusion process

Abstract This paper offers a conceptual framework to interpret the diffusion of Chinese global governance. Global governance is identified as a crucial aspect of China’s economic statecraft, especially as a means to develop and maintain international trade and investment. The adoption of Chinese global governance norms and rules is conceptualized as a diffusion process in which global governance is the innovation. Diffusion is a spatial-temporal process. Adoption over time is conceptualized as an adoption-curve of early-, mid-, and late adopters. Space is conceptualized as core, semi-periphery, and periphery regions of the capitalist world-economy. The forms of global governance are identified as either the politics of inter-state cooperation or the politics of domestic development. The policy focus of these two types of politics rests on an understanding of hegemony that requires dominance in the fields of manufacturing, trade, and investment. In addition to these economic spheres, global governance must address emerging crises, such as global climate change or war. Combining scales of global governance, the geography of core, semi-periphery, and periphery, and the policy focus of global governance rules and norms produces a 2*3*4 cube of 24 cells. Countries may be situated within one of these cells to understand their alacrity or hesitation in adopting Chinese global governance practices. The conceptual framework is illustrated through three vignettes describing China’s relations with Ghana and Zambia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and Hungary.