The growing presence of “China” has been met with controversy in various parts of the world. This controversy is informed by the fact that China is often portrayed as a monolith and assumes a threat to erstwhile hegemonic powers. Chinese actors are often placed under a global magnifying lens, being “Othered” and considered exceptional. Their overseas endeavours have often been couched in terms of neocolonialism, with little attention to role and agency of individuals and communities in setting the terms of engagement.

This is an opportunity for students to study Global China from below.  A substantial part of the popular attention and scholarly literature on China’s presence focuses on macro-level dynamics and security, and Chinese actors’ growing involvement in global trade networks, infrastructure, energy, as well as multilateral institutions. There remains little ethnographic insight into dynamics at the micro-level. How is Global China, comprised of state, corporate, and individual actors, understood and perceived “on the ground”? How do Chinese actors interact with local communities? Who or what shapes how Chinese actors operate? Are the activities and agendas, and the interactions between Chinese and “local” actors qualitatively different from the practices and interests of other foreign actors, such as European firms, diplomats, and governments? Ethnographic research is warranted to understand the multiple dimensions and manifestations of Global China and inform scholarly as well as non-academic audiences about the variegated nature of Global China, which is imperative in this era of geopolitical rivalry.

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