Although illiberal normative projects have become increasingly prominent internationally, ir norms research has, for a long time, focused mainly on liberal norm entrepreneurs. Through the study of the environmental norms promoted by China’s Belt and Road Initiative (bri), the so-called ‘green bri’, this contribution seeks to add to the empirical horizon of norm entrepreneurship. Drawing on insights from area studies and authoritarian regime studies, I argue that based on its domestic political system, China engages in a specific pattern of norm promotion. By shedding light on the development of ‘Green bri’ norms, I argue that these efforts are shaped by China’s internal political practice in two ways: They are informed by ‘slogan politics’, vague formulations issued by high-level figures that are filled with life and interpreted subsequently, and they highlight the agency of the Chinese state while allowing large degrees of flexibility for state-owned enterprises and their economic interests.
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All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
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Although illiberal normative projects have become increasingly prominent internationally, ir norms research has, for a long time, focused mainly on liberal norm entrepreneurs. Through the study of the environmental norms promoted by China’s Belt and Road Initiative (bri), the so-called ‘green bri’, this contribution seeks to add to the empirical horizon of norm entrepreneurship. Drawing on insights from area studies and authoritarian regime studies, I argue that based on its domestic political system, China engages in a specific pattern of norm promotion. By shedding light on the development of ‘Green bri’ norms, I argue that these efforts are shaped by China’s internal political practice in two ways: They are informed by ‘slogan politics’, vague formulations issued by high-level figures that are filled with life and interpreted subsequently, and they highlight the agency of the Chinese state while allowing large degrees of flexibility for state-owned enterprises and their economic interests.
All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
---|---|---|---|
Abstract Views | 711 | 255 | 23 |
Full Text Views | 52 | 10 | 2 |
PDF Views & Downloads | 112 | 23 | 4 |