China's Vertical Multilateralism and the Global South

Dominik Mierzejewski is Associate Professor at the University of Łódź, where he leads the Department of Asian Studies and the Centre for Asian Affairs (think-tank), specialising in China’s political discourse, local China and China’s international behaviours. Mierzejewski studied at Shanghai International Studies University and was a visiting professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He is the author of China's Provinces and the Belt and Road Initiative (Routledge, 2021) and has published in journals such as Asian Affairs and the Journal of Contemporary China. He serves as a principal investigator in grants supported by the Polish National Science Centre and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Poland. Jarosław Jura is Assistant Professor at Lazarski University in Warsaw, specialising in China–Africa relations, Chinese soft power and the global projection of Chinese influence. He has published on FDI spillovers, media representations and political discourse in journals such as African Affairs and Journal of Contemporary China. He has conducted field research on China’s presence in Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America. Jura has contributed to research projects funded by the Polish National Science Centre, including studies on China’s vertical multilateralism in the Global South, spillover effects of Chinese FDI in Africa and China’s diplomacy at the UN.Bartosz Kowalski is Associate Professor in the Department of Asian Studies of the University of Łódź, Poland. His research explores China’s foreign policy, particularly its engagement with Central and Eastern Europe and the Global South. He has published widely on China’s regional diplomacy in Central and Eastern Europe and Chinese ideological narratives. His most recenct book is Relacyjność w polityce Chin wobec Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej: Przypadek Czech (2024).Mario Esteban is Full Professor and Director of the Centre for East Asian Studies at the Autonomous University of Madrid. He is also Senior Fellow at the Elcano Royal Institute. He was the president of the Spanish Association for East Asian Studies (2020-2024), a visiting professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University and a visiting researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Chengchi National University. His most recent books are Introducción a la China actual (2024) and China and International Norms: Evidence from the Belt and Road Initiative (Routledge, 2023).

"China’s Vertical Multilateralism offers an innovative and critical analysis of China’s approach to multilateral institutions. It shows that behind China’s principled support of multilateralism, Beijing has developed a hierarchical approach that both enhances its own international influence and puts countries participating in these platforms in a situation of deepening and fragilizing dependence upon China. A must-read."-- Jean-Pierre Cabestan, Senior Researcher Emeritus, French National Centre for Scientific Research, Professor Emeritus, Hong Kong Baptist University"Xi Jinping has advocated the concept of 'true multilateralism,' but this incisive book explains why China’s approach is better characterized as 'vertical multilateralism' in which Beijing uses multilateral frameworks to advance bilateral initiatives. The authors’ thoughtful examination of this phenomenon in countries across the Global South demonstrates not only how this concept works in theory, but also how Chinese diplomats carry it out in practice. This book should be required reading for anyone interested in China’s evolving international engagement strategy."-- Zack Cooper, American Enterprise Institute"This book makes a significant and timely contribution to the study of China’s global strategy. Scholars of China have long examined the interplay between discourse, narrative power, and political practice within the country. But these dynamics are no longer confined to domestic politics—they now shape how China engages the world and projects its power globally. By introducing the concept of vertical multilateralism, the book offers a powerful new lens to understand China’s global strategy, especially in the Global South. It shows how Beijing externalizes core features of its domestic governance model—through discursive framing, the bilateralization of multilateral forums, and the deployment of economic statecraft—to (re)shape international relations on its own terms. The analytical framework proposed here is both timely and innovative. It captures the strategic logic of China's foreign policy toolkit, where discourse, elite-centred networks, and economic interdependencies work in concert to build asymmetrical, Sino-centric partnerships. This book is essential reading for scholars and practitioners alike—an insightful and much-needed guide to making sense of China's growing influence and the profound transformations it brings to global governance."-- Marina Rudyak, Heidelberg University/The Decoding China Project

• IntroductionSection 1. Exercising discursive power by framing relations within China’s vertical multilateralism. Chapter 1. Framing civilisation and contemporary histories in China’s multilateral formats.Chapter 2. Introducing achievements and solutions for China-led multilateral audiences. Chapter 3. Deciphering China’s priorities across multilateral formats in the Global South.Section 2. China's Networks in the Global South: Elite-Centred Relations and Media MessagingChapter 4. Elite-centred diplomacy under China’s vertical multilateralism in the Global South.Chapter 5. Networking through ambassadorial activities during the COVID-19 pandemic.Chapter 6. China’s diplomats and policymakers’ presence in local newspapers in the Global South countries.Section 3. Trade, Infrastructure and Technology: Pillars of China’s Economic Statecraft Toward the Global South Chapter 7. China’s Trading Power and the Risk of Sectoral Overreliance in the Global SouthChapter 8. Financial commitments, investments and construction projects under China’s Vertical MultilateralismChapter 9. China’s technological and digital engagement and Huawei’s rise in the Global South.Conclusion