The meeting of two worlds: strategic corruption as an emerging concept in (anti-)corruption studies and international relations

ABSTRACT

In the wake of significant international events like the Russian invasion of Ukraine and China’s assertive diplomacy, the recently developed concept of strategic corruption has been increasingly employed to discuss how corruption infiltrates international affairs. Unlike traditional corruption, strategic corruption is commonly understood to be a sophisticated mechanism that states use to achieve geopolitical objectives, intertwining economic and security concerns. This paper explores this concept, analyzes its relationship with related phenomena, and proposes a theoretical framework to contextualize strategic corruption within national and international arenas. The framework depicts strategic corruption as a multifaceted process spanning three spheres: domestic (source), international, and domestic (target). Each sphere involves unique pathways aimed at corrupting institutions in the target domain. This approach contributes to our understanding of the complex dynamics between corruption, national security, and foreign affairs, offering a coherent tool to address these challenges within the fields of international relations and anti-corruption studies.

KEYWORDS:

• Malign influence
• corruption
• international security
• kleptocracy
• geopolitics

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 This interpretation of illicit financial flows (IFF) contrasts to narrower legal definitions that describe it as the movement of assets across borders that is illegal in its source, transfer, or use (IMF, n.d.).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science: [Grant Number 21K13228].

Notes on contributors

Joseph Pozsgai-Alvarez

Joseph Pozsgai-Alvarez is an Associate Professor at the School of Human Sciences of Osaka University, and Associate Director of its International Undergraduate Degree Program. He is the founder of the Japan Network of Anti-Corruption Researchers (JANAR) and a member of the Steering Committee on (Anti-)Corruption and Integrity of the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR). He is the editor of The Politics of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Latin America, published by Routledge in 2021. He has also served as Consultant in the Western Hemisphere Anti-Corruption Index (WHACI) project developed by John Jay College of Criminal Justice in 2021.

Oksana Huss

Oksana Huss is an Associate Researcher in the BIT-ACT research project at the University of Bologna. Her areas of expertise cover (anti-)corruption and social movements, as well as open government and digital technologies. She has held several research fellowships in Canada, France, the Netherlands, and Sweden and consulted international organisations, such as the Council of Europe, EU, UNESCO, and UNODC. She is also a co-founder of the Interdisciplinary Corruption Research Network and author of the book ‘How Corruption and Anti-Corruption Policies Sustain Hybrid Regimes: Strategies of Political Domination under Ukraine’s Presidents in 1994-2014.’