The Chinese ride-hailing app has acclimated remarkably well to local conditions, challenging simplistic narratives about the entry of Chinese companies into the region.

China has been investing in solar and wind energy projects in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, increasingly adapting its approach to the needs and regulations in each country.

Kazakhstan has leveraged its natural uranium resources to hold the reins in its nuclear fuel–related dealings with China.

Saudi Arabia’s cooperation with China on technological and scientific innovation is on the rise—and it is Saudi priorities that are steering the relationship.

China’s Belt and Road Initiative has followed a unique, locally focused strategy in Türkiye to adapt to the Turkish economic and political environment.

China’s Belt and Road Initiative helped build an industrial complex in Indonesia—but contestations at the local and national levels compelled Chinese players to adapt to rapidly shifting Indonesian cross-currents.

Differing Kenyan and Ethiopian journalism norms have fundamentally shaped the strategies and local relationships of three Chinese firms contracted to build railways in Africa.

The marriage of material gifts to interpersonal elite social bonds is a distinctive feature of China’s approach to Central Asia—one that resonates with local traditions and practices. This characteristic contrasts starkly with the approach preferred by the transatlantic West, which has tended to anchor its engagement with Central Asia in political norms and principles.

Turkey has few explicitly pro-China voices. In response, the Chinese regime has opted for soft power strategies that leverage Turkish political players and seek a synergy with local media actors.

Investing in joint ventures has enabled Chinese cultural adaptation by emphasizing training programs in languages commonly spoken in West Africa, embracing local African management styles, and assimilating some local practices.