China has led a surprisingly effective, low-key campaign to lead mid-tier agencies at international organizations. At the United Nations, Chinese nationals now lead five of the 15 specialized agencies: the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Telecommunication Union, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the U.N. Department for Economic and Social Affairs, and the U.N. Industrial Development Organization.
On their own, these agencies really aren’t that important but collectively they provide Beijing with an increasingly influential platform to align the international agenda with their own priorities.
