Professional Affiliation

Associate Professor at Amherst College

Expert Bio

Kerry Ratigan is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts, US. Her research focuses on Chinese politics and state–society relations. Her book, Local Politics and Social Policy in China: Let Some Get Healthy First (Cambridge, 2022), demonstrates how local politics shaped social policy provision in China under Hu Jintao. Her current research examines how economic engagement shapes perceptions of China in Latin America. She has published research in World Development, The China Quarterly, Journal of Chinese Governance, International Political Science Review, and Studies in Comparative International Development, among others. She received her Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, an MSc from the London School of Economics, and a BA in Political Science and Spanish from Haverford College. 

Wilson Center Project

From Zero to Hero: Can China Rescue Overseas Corporate Responsibility?

Project Summary

Criticisms of Chinese firms abound, but China increasingly emphasizes corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental and social governance (ESG) for overseas investments, while some OECD countries have done the opposite. This project examines corporate responsibility in copper and lithium extraction in South America, by analyzing the extent to which sending countries’ institutions, local institutions, and civil society impact CSR and ESG practices and outcomes. Corporate responsibility represents a transnational policy issue where the US, China, and Global South countries could dialogue and build trust, potentially strengthening global governance more broadly.