New Books Network Gregory T. Chin and Kevin P. Gallagher, "China and the Global Economic Order" (Cambridge UP, 2025)
Feb 2, 2026
Gregory T. Chin, Associate Professor of Political Economy at York University who studies international money and China’s role in global governance. He discusses China’s shift from rule-taker to rule-shaker to rule-maker. Short takes cover China’s hybrid inside-out strategy with Bretton Woods institutions, its push for alternative banks and digital currency, and changing ties with African partners and Western cooperation.
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Hybrid Inside–Outside Strategy
- China uses a hybrid inside-outside strategy to influence global institutions.
- The country mixes rule-taking, rule-shaking, and rule-making to exert two-way countervailing power.
Crisis Catalyzed China’s Shift
- China was largely a status-quo actor in its first two decades of engagement with Bretton Woods institutions.
- Crises like the 1997–98 Asian financial crisis and 2008–09 global financial crisis prompted China to push for alternatives and reforms.
China Shows Up Prepared
- Gregory T. Chin recalls China coming to development negotiations extremely well prepared.
- That organizational capacity helped China secure more flexible treatment from institutions like the World Bank.
