China and the Global Order
As geopolitical alignments shift and new forms of multilateralism emerge, China’s
expanding global presence is reshaping the international order. This priority area
examines how China engages with global institutions, regional systems, and transnational
networks, and how these dynamics influence patterns of cooperation, competition, and
global governance.
- China and global governance institutions: Engagement with multilateral systems such as the United Nations and World Trade Organization
- Regional and strategic alignments: Relations with Europe, the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and the Global South
- Economic statecraft and connectivity: Trade, investment, development finance, and infrastructure initiatives shaping global integration
- Great power competition and cooperation: Intersections of U.S.–China relations with broader patterns of rivalry, coordination,
and global order
- Analysis examines China’s industrial overcapacity and its global repercussions, highlighting structural imbalances in China’s political economy and their implications for trade governance, regional economies, and multilateral cooperation in the lead-up to the 2025 APEC summit.
- Launched in 2013, the U.S.–China Barometer project advances data-driven analysis of bilateral dynamics, tracking economic, environmental, demographic, political, and technological trends while highlighting both divergences and deepening interdependencies shaping the relationship. Access the U.S.–China Barometer 2025 Edition here.