China and Evolving Multilateral Craftmanship in the Age of Digitalization (CHIMULTI)

China and Evolving Multilateral Craftmanship in the Age of Digitalization Which international organizations develop responsibilities for digital technology (digitech) governance and how do major powers work to craft influence in these organizations? This is the overarching theme investigated in CHIMULTI, which studies how China, with targeted comparison of India, USA and other G20 countries, is working to shape international digitech governance, including in the artificial intelligence (AI) field. Contested and subject to enhanced major power rivalry, the international governance of digitech issues is yet only nascently institutionalized. Still, all states, not least developing and low-income countries, need and rely on digital resources, and their access to such resources depends on certain international facilitation and agreement. Employing quantitative and qualitative methods and data, we zoom in on several interrelated digitech issues, including AI standards, e-commerce rules, and aid and cybersecurity guidelines, and develop typological theory for how countries operate within and surrounding organizations with evolving responsibilities in the digitech area. CHIMULTI provides novel and usable knowledge about how and why digitech responsibilities evolve in organizations and how China and other influential countries and actors work to promote interests, shape policy, and contribute to reaching relevant UN Sustainable Development Goals. The targeted comparison between China and India, USA and other G20 countries, ensures that data and research findings are grounded in Asian and broader global development contexts. Practicing responsible internationalization, CHIMULTI brings together a team of highly skilled and dedicated scholars, who will jointly inform scholarly and policy debates concerning international digitech governance, multilateral development, and major power rivalry and cooperation. Project webpage: https://www.nupi.no/en/projects-centers/china-and-evolving-multilateral-craftmanship-in-the-age-of-digitalization

How is China crafting influence in international organizations (IOs) associated with digitalization (‘digi’) issues? This is the overarching question investigated in CHIMULTI, which studies how China, with targeted comparison of India, USA and other G20 countries, is working to shape international digitalization governance. Contested and subject to major power rivalry, multilateral digi-issues governance is only nascently institutionalized, despite digital access and sustainable digital security depending on international facilitation. We apply typological theory and identify and theorize causal pathways leading to the formation of types of multilateral craftmanship, which consist of combinations of formal and informal resources and actions that countries utilize in their operations within- and in relation to IOs. Zooming in on three interrelated digi-issues (AI standards; e-commerce rules; cybersecurity aid guidelines) and related IOs (ITU, WTO and UNCTAD), we develop typological theory for craftmanship types. We thus contribute to ongoing debates about the changing character of the multilateral system and its ability to address one of the foremost impactful development topics for our time. With a team combining area-expertise with methodological skills, CHIMULTI conducts comparative quantitative and qualitative analysis, nuanced empirical investigation and develops an comprehensive dataset, all aimed at capturing varying aspects of evolving multilateral craftmanship. On this basis, the project will contribute to broader debates, first, about the evolving character of multilateral engagement and Chinese craftmanship, and second, on the institutionalization of digi-issues governance in multilateral settings. Concerning societal and policy-related impact, CHIMULTI provides a research-based roadmap into understanding which IOs, multilateral settings, and country representatives are especially relevant for digi-issues governance and policy making.