ARTICLES

1 Nov 2023

China’s Belt and Road Forum: Pressing Ahead Without the West

Lye Liang Fook

The lack of Western representation at the recent Belt and Road Forum has strengthened China’s resolve to push ahead with the Belt and Road Initiative. Beijing is using the Forum as a vehicle to engage the developing world in a more concerted manner.

Belt and Road Initiative China

22 May 2023

Cambodia Has Benefited From BRI projects, but Must be More Strategic Going Forward

Jayant Menon

Cambodia’s participation in the Belt and Road Initiative has strengthened relations with China and brought net benefits, but also highlighted the risks of over-reliance on one country and the need for a more comprehensive framework for evaluating new investments.

3 Mar 2023

Why Is China’s Global Development Initiative Well Received in Southeast Asia?

Hoang Thi Ha

Southeast Asian countries appear to have unanimously supported China’s Global Development Initiative in the hope that it will contribute towards addressing their development deficits and that China will up its economic game more broadly in the region.

ASEAN-China Relations Belt and Road Initiative

5 Jan 2023

Long-Delayed Thailand-China High-Speed Train: A Political Game on Two Tracks

Sivarin Lertpusit

The beleaguered construction and murky progress of the proposed Bangkok-Nong Khai high-speed railway are emblematic of deeper problems underlying Thailand’s and China’s infrastructural ambitions.

Belt and Road Initiative China-Thai Relations Thai Politics Thailand

8 Nov 2022

Easy Highway, Troubled City: How China Wins and Loses Cambodians’ Hearts

Chanrith Ngin

Two China-driven projects show striking contrasts. The newly opened Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway has been well-received by Cambodians. But grand plans for Sihanoukville to be an investment hub and “multi-purpose” city have instead seen Chinese businesses crowding out locals, a boom-bust cycle in construction and illicit trades.

Belt and Road Initiative Cambodia China Infrastructure

16 Sep 2022

Chinese ‘Debt Traps’ in Southeast Asia: What the Data Say

Darren Cheong

This Long Read argues that while the terms of China’s aid and loans to Southeast Asian countries are less favourable compared to those of the World Bank, the weight of the evidence does not lend credence to the existence of a Chinese “debt trap” strategy in the region.

Belt and Road Initiative China China-Southeast Asia relations Economic Development Infrastructure

12 Sep 2022

The Undetermined Costs and Benefits of Cambodia’s Engagement with China’s Belt and Road Initiative

Chanrith Ngin

This Long Read argues that despite common perceptions of Cambodia as a ‘client state’ of China due to its dependence on Chinese aid and investment, Cambodia does exercise agency and has been diversifying its donors and investors to meet its economic needs.

Belt and Road Initiative Cambodia China-Cambodia Relations

12 Aug 2022

The G7’s Global Infrastructure and Investment Drive: Not So Attractive For Southeast Asia

Chanrith Ngin

The Group of 7’s new infrastructure and investment drive seeks to provide what Southeast Asia needs, such as financing for hard infrastructure. But the need for multiple stakeholders and financing issues might not garner much buy-in from the region.

ASEAN Belt and Road Initiative G7 Infrastructure

10 Jun 2022

Assessing the Belt and Road Initiative in Southeast Asia amid the COVID-19 Pandemic (2021-2022)

Wang Zheng

Data analysis from an original dataset tracking major China-financed projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Southeast Asia since January 2021 shows that China remains committed to boosting BRI projects’ progress.

ASEAN-China Relations Belt and Road Initiative

25 Mar 2022

The Belt and Road Initiative and the Philippines’ Post-Duterte China Challenge

Aaron Jed Rabena

Even under China-friendly President Duterte, Chinese BRI projects in the Philippines still encountered strong political opposition and faced several challenges in their roll-out. Nevertheless, taking a broader view of the BRI shows that it has made some progress and jives with the development needs of the Philippines.

Belt and Road Initiative China-Philippine Relations Philippine Philippine Politics