Pivoting to overseas development: international NGOs' changing engagement with China.

This article systematically examines the emerging phenomenon of joint overseas activities between international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) and Chinese actors, analyzing over 130 collaborative projects primarily in sub-Saharan Africa and southeast Asia. It finds that these partnerships have increased due to domestic constraints on INGOs within China ("push" factors) and expanding opportunities with Chinese actors abroad ("pull" factors), involving mainly Chinese government entities, educational institutions, and companies rather than civil society organizations. The study reveals that these overseas collaborations largely mirror the permitted and prioritized fields of INGO work within mainland China, suggesting that China's domestic regulatory environment indirectly shapes INGO engagement beyond its borders. While INGOs seek to influence Chinese actors through expertise and capacity-building, their role as principled actors promoting liberal norms is limited, reflecting a two-way socialization process influenced by China's political priorities. This research contributes to understanding how emerging authoritarian powers like China selectively engage with global civil society and international development, with implications for the future scope and nature of INGO activities worldwide.