International legal scholarship pays much attention to normative interpretations of China’s stance toward international criminal justice, which contributes little to the potential synergy between the two. This article develops the current analytical framework in two ways: first by outlining the rationale behind China’s conventional critique of the ICC, namely concerning supranational jurisdiction, judicial complementarity and situations in Africa, that results in the discrepancy; secondly, it examines the shift in China’s diplomatic strategy and domestic judicial reforms, and the expanding presence in Africa that bring about an alternative approach. This article then concludes with four factors that are likely to lead to an optimal relationship between China and the ICC.