Built on a unique blend of comparative and international theory, this book explores what happens when globalized networks of activists engage a powerful, resiliently authoritarian, and norm-resistant new hegemon. The book advances the notion of ‘advocacy drift’—a process whereby the objectives and principled beliefs of activists are transformed through interaction with the Chinese state. It offers a timely reassessment of transnational civil society, its power to persuade and to leverage the policies of national governments, and provides insight into the ethical dilemmas posed by China’s domestic reforms and global rise.

The empirical core of the book comprises a comparative analysis of six transnational advocacy campaigns in China, including the ones around Falun Gong, protection of intellectual property rights, global warming, Tibetan independence, HIV/AIDS treatment, and the abolition of capital punishment. The approach facilitates the elaboration of factors likely to help or hinder transnational advocacy in China, and provides snapshots of the multiple functional forms taken by TAN campaigns in China. 

Drawing from a range of intellectual disciplines and approaches, The advocacy trap is must read for students and scholars of China’s role in global governance, and anyone seeking closer engagement with Beijing in a globally interdependent age.