By: Cornelia Walles
On July 17, the Raoul Wallenberg Institute (RWI), in collaboration with Dialogue Earth, hosted a LinkedIn Live webinar focused on the importance of nuanced perspectives on “Global China”, particularly for policymakers and policy-engaged audiences in the Global South.
The event marked the official launch of a new, three-part curriculum titled “Learning: Global China and Just Transitions”, which brings fresh, multidisciplinary insights into China’s evolving global role and its implications for environmental governance and human rights.
The webinar was open to the public and amplified through the Raoul Wallenberg Institute’s and Dialogue Earth’s LinkedIn communities in the first ever LinkedIn Live webinar for both organisations. The event drew 140 of registrants, indicating high interest and relevance of the topic of China’s role in just transitions.
About the Learning Materials
The aim of the webinar was to highlight the newly launched learning modules, developed through extensive collaboration with global experts, policymakers, and community leaders. The learning modules are designed to help users unpack the complex dynamics of China’s overseas engagement, especially in relation to the environment, development, and justice.
The learning materials draw on dialogues and consultations held in Chile, Thailand, Kenya, and Sweden throughout 2023-2025, reflecting diverse regional experiences and knowledge.
The three learning modules are:
- What is Global China?
Addressing some of the knowledge gaps that surround this important phenomenon, with the aim of building a more nuanced understanding of the multiple actors involved. - The History of China’s Environmental Journey
An exploration of China’s own experiences with environmental pollution and governance, and how this is shaping China’s overseas investments. - Just Transitions
Investigating how the right to a healthy environment matters for the Global South’s encounters with China.
This curriculum represents the final milestone in RWI’s China Programme, which since 2023, has partnered with Dialogue Earth and the Global China Lab to build cross-regional knowledge and strengthen community capacities to respond to China’s global engagement. The goal is to support more informed, human rights-based decision-making around Chinese investments and development cooperation, especially as they relate to just transitions in the Global South.
Key Highlights from the webinar
Webinar Speakers Included:
- Malin Oud, China Programme Director, Raoul Wallenberg Institute
- Christian-Geraud Neema Byamungu, Africa Editor, China Global South Project
- Lin Zhu, Program Manager, Boston University Global Development Policy Center
- Tom Baxter, Global China Editor, Dialogue Earth
Key Themes: Global China, China’s Environmental Journey, Just Transitions, Human Rights, Development.
Key takeaways:
“As China’s impact and presence across the global South expands, the need for specialized skills and expertise to understand and engage with China has never been more crucial.” – Malin Oud, China programme Director, Raoul Wallenberg Institute.
“Believing that you can summarize and sum up [China’s engagement with the Global South] with a black and white narrative is just lazy and dangerous, because at the end, the narrative that it does produce does not help a fruitful engagement.” – Christian-Geraud Neema Byamungu, Africa Editor, China Global South Project.
“So understanding who is with you at the negotiation table will help policymakers to set a realistic agenda that has feasible and practical demands, but also allow them to devise targeted strategies.” – Lin Zhu, Program Manager, Boston University Global Development Policy Center.
“As probably most of you … know, China has emerged as one of the biggest investors, development financiers, and trading partners, across the global south and other regions of the world. Understanding this phenomenon in detail and with nuance could lead to better development, environmental and human rights outcomes. That’s kind of our proposition here. And yet we feel that the information spaces on Global China in many, many parts of the world are often lacking in detail, lacking in depth and lacking in nuance.” – Tom Baxter, Global China Editor, Dialogue Earth.
Watch the full webinar recording below:
Learn More:
- About the curriculum and access the modules here
- About RWI’s China Programme here
- About Malin Oud, China Programme Director, Raoul Wallenberg Institute here
- About our partner Dialogue Earth here
Illustrations by Herlinde Demaerel / Dialogue Earth