Sustainability

Two-Pager: China's Global Health Diplomacy: Possibilities and Limitations for Cooperation

health!
health!

Disclaimer: This two-pager has been prepared by the CKN Secretariat and should not be considered the work of the individuals listed as authors of the report.

 

Key Takeaways

  • China is an indispensable actor in global health, and excluding China would create a serious gap in global health governance and undermine the ability to combat disease outbreaks and deliver global public goods.
  • Chinese global health diplomacy operates at bilateral, regional, multilateral and global levels, including cooperation within WHO and the Health Silk Road under the Belt and Road Initiative.
  • China’s health diplomacy advances broader foreign policy objectives, including improving China’s global image, reinforcing bilateral relations, and creating new economic and geopolitical opportunities.
  • China’s global health leadership is constrained by limited financial contribution, domestic institutional shortfalls, and intransparency of information at national and sub-national levels.
  • The Netherlands should actively explore cooperation with China through a European coordinated step-by-step approach, starting with low-risk projects in global health.

China Knowledge Network

The Dutch China Knowledge Network (CKN) is a network established to involve China experts and disseminate knowledge within the government of the Netherlands and beyond.Our key task is to connect various angles of research and events to better understand China’s motives, policies and vision to develop more effective policies and better advise social partners. The secretariat of the knowledge network has been assigned to think tank Clingendael together with LeidenAsiaCentre. They will function primarily as ‘knowledge brokers’, matching the supply and demand of knowledge.

 

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