"Pivoting to overseas development: international NGOs' changing engagement with China" - by CWP alum Wendy Leutert & Austin Strange
This study examines the emerging phenomenon of joint activities between international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) and Chinese actors in third-party countries. How common are these activities, what forms do they take and which actors are involved? What are the motivations and incentives for participants? And how do these activities compare to longstanding INGO engagement within China's borders? Based on key stakeholder interviews and an original dataset of over 130 INGO–China joint overseas development activities, we analyse project locations, types, areas of focus, and specific Chinese and international participants and their motivations. We find that INGO engagements have increased worldwide due to both ‘push’ factors (shifts in domestic conditions and constraints in China) and ‘pull’ factors (growing opportunities and incentives to work with Chinese actors overseas). Our dataset reveals that most activities take place in sub-Saharan Africa and south-east Asia, include dialogues, research and training, and involve Chinese government, commercial and civil society actors. However, overseas projects largely mirror patterns of INGO activities within mainland China, suggesting that the effects of China's domestic regulatory environment extend beyond national borders and could potentially reshape international norms and practices. These findings contribute to scholarship on transnational politics, global civil society and emerging powers in international development.
Leutert is the GLP-Ming Z. Mei Chair of Chinese Economics and Trade. Her research focuses on Chinese political economy, specifically the historical evolution and global expansion of China's state-owned enterprises. Other areas of her research include leadership in China's public sector, China’s early reform and opening, corporate governance in state-owned enterprises, and international investment and trade. Her commentary has been featured in media outlets including the Financial Times, New York Times, Reuters, Washington Post, and South China Morning Post. For further details about her research, see: www.wendyleutert.com.
Austin Strange is Associate Professor of International Relations in the Department of Politics and Public Administration. He researches and teaches Chinese foreign policy, international political economy, and international development. Austin’s research mainly focuses on China’s historical and contemporary roles in the world economy. Austin is a Public Intellectuals Program Fellow with the National Committee on US-China Relations from 2023–2025. Previously he was a Wilson China Fellow at the Wilson Center and a fellow with the Columbia-Harvard China and the World Program. He received a Ph.D. in Government from Harvard University, M.A. from Zhejiang University, and B.A. from William & Mary.
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