Multinationals and the Changing Face of Chinese Globalization

The impact of China’s globalization, both on China and the rest of the world, has been as multifaceted as the varieties of actors involved. Foreign MNEs have aided China’s development by facilitating the transfer of new ideas and technologies from abroad. They have also acted as agents of imperialism and the traffickers of addictive substances. Chinese MNEs have emerged as leaders in the global green transition and have played a central role in building physical and digital infrastructure across the developing world. Some have been accused of acting in collusion with the Chinese state and of failing to uphold basic human and environmental rights. It is only by retracing the long history of Chinese globalization that we can begin to unpack this complexity.