4. China as Socializee

This Chapter analyzes China’s socialization in multilateral institutions that resulted in the emergence and development of its 21^st-century-style postmodern global power identity. To ensure the success of economic reforms, the post-1979 leadership in Beijing embraced multilateralism and international institutions. Details are provided of China’s participation in the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the World Trade Organization, the international environmental regime, the UN Conference on Disarmament, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, and the international human rights regime. A common pattern of socialization is identified based on micro-processes of role playing/mimicking and social influence involving Chinese experts, high-ranking officials, and the political elite. However, this only led to Checkel’s first, less advanced type of socialization. Not all the norms of multilateral institutions were adopted and a reciprocal socialization phase typically followed the apprenticeship one. This is a Chinese effort to change the norms of multilateral institutions in ways beneficial to Beijing’s interests. This process often brought significant results but was unable to take China beyond the situation of a ‘body’ nation caught in a center-periphery economic relationship and subordinated to Western-controlled socializers. Before President Xi launched the construction of a new international order, China’s 21^st-century-style postmodern global power identity was only half-developed.