Is power shifting? China's evolving engagement with UNESCO

Abstract The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) presents itself as a global laboratory of ideas. In 2022, China became the largest financial contributor to UNESCO at a time when the United States had been absent from the organisation for 4 years. Against this backdrop, a focus on whether or not China has become a more powerful actor within UNESCO is timely and capable of adding a new dimension to the existing body of literature on China's participation in global governance. This paper draws on UNESCO reports and data, as well as interviews with UNESCO officials and Chinese diplomats. Building on Barnett and Duvall's power typology, the article concludes that China's power within UNESCO has increased, yet unevenly. China is regarded as a moderate contributor rather than a challenger to existing power constellations in terms of compulsory power, structural power and productive power. However, China has shaped new industry norms and rules in the professional domain of UNESCO, reflecting institutional power shifts. Moreover, China's mechanisms of indirect influence within UNESCO have shifted towards a strategy referred to as ‘homeland diplomacy’, expanding the range of stakeholders to include experts, private sector entities and universities.