China’s port investments and influence abroad: a comparative analysis of Italy and Pakistan

China’s investments in port infrastructure globally have sparked considerable debate as to whether or not they translate into greater influence over host countries. Yet, the existing literature presents mixed findings on the extent and mechanisms of this influence. This study contributes to these debates through a comparative analysis of the ports of Vado Ligure in Italy and Gwadar in Pakistan. Drawing on a mixed-methods approach, including ground-truthing observations in both ports and the use of geospatial data, we propose a framework which disaggregates China’s influence across the political, economic and spatial dimensions at both national and local scales. Our findings reveal that China often acts as a preference multiplier, and that its investments adapt to host countries’ political economy, target strategic geographical locations and have a medium-term time horizon. This study advances emerging scholarship in International Political Economy and Geopolitics on Global China by offering an empirically grounded, multi-scalar and relational framework for analysing China’s influence.