Strengthening Southeast Asian Studies in China

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has highlighted the strategic importance of Southeast Asia, positioning it as a crucial node for economic growth and geopolitical influence. As China amplifies its presence on the global stage, understanding and engaging with neighbouring regions like Southeast Asia is imperative. Despite the region’s significance, however, Southeast Asian Studies in China have long been criticised for being subpar.

Over the past few decades, Southeast Asian Studies in China have struggled to gain traction. Southeast Asian Studies in China persistently trailed behind global hubs such as the US, Singapore and Australia in various aspects, including funding, training, talent and language proficiency. Specifically, deficiencies were noted in curriculum development, language instruction, field research, methodology and scholarly publications. Early evaluations by Australian scholars highlighted inadequate funding and training. This hindered the development of Chinese expertise in the region.

Acknowledging the significance of nurturing expertise in area studies for the BRI, the government has intensified its focus on “Regional and Country Studies” in the last decade. In 2022, the Ministry of Education upgraded Regional and Country Studies to a “first-level discipline” (一级学科) for graduate studies. This put the discipline on par with fields such as law and economics, to which national resources are allocated. This prompted numerous universities to seek state funding to establish graduate programmes and research institutes aligned with this strategic direction.

The politicisation of scholarship in China presents unique opportunities for the advancement of Southeast Asian Studies. State support and international collaboration have enabled institutes and universities to develop niche programmes and capitalise on existing strengths.

The field had modest beginnings in China. In the 1950s, several Southeast Asian research institutions were founded in southern China. For example, the Nanyang Institute of Xiamen University specialised in Southeast Asian economics, Sun Yat-sen University focused on Southeast Asian history, and Jinan University concentrated on the studies of overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia. In addition, Peking University conducted research on countries in Asia and Africa in the realm of international politics, which encompasses Southeast Asia. In the late 1970s, the establishment of the Southeast Asian Research Association expanded the field. This incorporated the Southeast Asian Research Institutes of the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences and the Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences, alongside the three aforesaid institutions.

In the early 1980s, Professor Wang Gungwu led a delegation of Australian historians and social scientists to assess Southeast Asian Studies in China.  They noted a lack of interest and insufficient scholarly attention paid by China to the region despite Southeast Asia’s significance as a major regional power. In 2006, Singapore’s Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (now known as ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute) launched a project to measure the field of Southeast Asian Studies in China. This highlighted the deficiencies and the potential for growth in the field.

Recent developments have seen a notable shift in China’s approach to Southeast Asian Studies. China’s professed foreign policy goal of becoming a responsible regional and global power has led to increased resources being channelled into academic research on Southeast Asia. In the past two decades, dozens of universities across China have established research institutes dedicated to specific Southeast Asian countries. This has resulted in the rapid growth of language programmes and the expansion of policy research. Currently, there are approximately 300 to 400 research institutions and centres across China dedicated to Southeast Asian Studies.

Increased government support has led to a proliferation of research, particularly in international relations, economics, law and political science related to the region, and the subsequent development of ASEAN Studies. This shift mirrors China’s increasing focus on actively engaging with nations in Southeast Asia, and is partially motivated by its ambition to extend its influence within the region. While these developments may seem to prioritise immediate policy needs over long-term scholarly inquiry, they nonetheless signal a growing recognition of the importance of Southeast Asian Studies in China’s academic and policy circles.

The politicisation of scholarship in China presents unique opportunities for the advancement of Southeast Asian Studies. State support and international collaboration have enabled institutes and universities to develop niche programmes and capitalise on existing strengths. The Regional and Country Studies initiative can present an alternative to critically assess the prevailing Western-centric discourse that has dominated the field, advocating for more equitable cross-cultural discursive dialogue.

Nevertheless, the elevation of Regional and Country Studies to a primary discipline, coupled with the emphasis on policy-focused empirical research, has sparked apprehension within the academic community. Chinese scholars lament that the competition for recognition and resources has led to the production of quick, practical and profitable studies rather than those based on solid research. Primarily, this shift may prioritise disciplinary development catering to policy demands. This could sideline traditional foundational theoretical research. Secondly, an excessive emphasis on policy-related empirical research might push scholarships towards adhering to official preferences, inhibiting independent critical thinking and compromising academic freedom.

As China navigates the opportunities and challenges of developing Regional and Country Studies, strategic planning and academic integrity are paramount. The field’s viability depends on its ability to balance three key objectives: establishing the academic rigour of the discipline, addressing the strategic needs of the nation, and carving out a distinct academic identity through unique research topics, theoretical frameworks and methodologies that set it apart from established disciplines.

By navigating the complex interplay between politics and scholarship, China has the potential to emerge as an alternative hub for Southeast Asian Studies, contributing to a more nuanced understanding of the dynamic and diverse region of Southeast Asia.

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