The 'dark side' of global China. The online scam industry as a case study

Abstract

As conducting fieldwork within China has become increasingly difficult, in recent years many researchers have shifted their attention to Chinese engagements overseas. In this essay we argue that it is possible to distinguish between two different layers in existing analyses of Global China. The first, which we call ‘Global China from above’, focuses on the macro, top-down dynamics related to China’s international engagements; the second, ‘bottom-up global China’, covers all sorts of grassroots encounters between Chinese state and non-state actors and local communities in foreign contexts. While these two layers dominate current discussions, in this article we posit the existence of a third, less visible layer, which we call ‘Global China’s underbelly’. This includes the operations of Chinese organised crime syndicates that branch out overseas, their underground money flows, and their engagements with foreign counterparts. As we will show, studying this is possible, although challenging, and can yield important insights on how to situate Global China today.