International relations scholarship and the popular media tend to
portray China as a great power with hegemonic designs for Southeast
Asia. Moreover, studies on Chinese influence in Southeast Asia
predominantly focus on the Chinese state. This paper argues that
Chinese non-state actors and their daily encounters with local
communities in Southeast Asia deserve equal attention as these
interactions evidently produce friction at both the
society-to-state and state-to-state levels. The influence of
Chinese non-state actors in Southeast Asia can be illustrated with
three examples, namely, Chinese tourism operations in Thailand,
Chinese market demand and agricultural transformations in Myanmar,
and Chinese gangs within the casino economy in Cambodia. Thailand
has recently become a top tourist destination for Chinese
nationals. This has cultural implications as those involved in the
tourism industry need to have Chinese language skills. The economic
implications include increased competition and decreased
accountability as Chinese tour companies have set up in Thailand
using Thai locals as nominees. Bilateral relations also soured
after a boat carrying Chinese tourists capsized in Thailand. As
global prices of corn rose in 2011 and 2012, areas in Myanmar close
to the Chinese border have increased corn cultivation to meet
Chinese demands for that crop. This has led to deforestation in
these areas. Chinese gangsters fleeing their government’s
crackdown in China have settled down to operate in the casino
economy in Cambodia. Consequentially, there has been a rise in
crime rate involving online scams and deteriorating public
security. Despite the Chinese government encouraging the Cambodian
government to enforce a ban on online gambling, the actions of
non-state actors from China continue to be associated with the
Chinese state as a whole and there is rising resentment towards the
Chinese in Cambodia. The COVID-19 pandemic has temporarily halted
cross-border trade between China and mainland Southeast Asia. This
has negatively affected local farmers who are dependent on the
Chinese market.
General
Imprint: |
Iseas
|
Country of origin: |
Singapore |
Series: |
Trends in Southeast Asia (TRS) |
Release date: |
2021 |
Authors: |
Enze Han
|
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
19 |
ISBN-13: |
978-981-4951-33-3 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
981-4951-33-1 |
Barcode: |
9789814951333 |
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