Pak Veerastien obtained his Bachelor’s degree from the Faculty of Economics, Chulalongkorn University in 2015 and worked as academics officer for the ASEAN Studies Center of Chulalongkorn University between 2016 and 2018. He is currently working for the Office of the Board of Investment of Thailand (BOI). He has participated in multiple field research projects, in particular on issues related to intraregional logistics systems/infrastructures, and ASEAN geo-economic landscapes.
Vira Somboon has worked as Associate Professor at the Department of International Relations, Faculty of Political Science, and is a member of the Board of Directors of Chula Global Network, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. He was previously Director of the Ph.D. Program in Political Science, Director of the Center for Social Development Studies, Chair of the Department of International Relations, and Head of research project on “International Cooperation and Human Security” in the Human Security Research Cluster at Chulalongkorn University. He received his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Michigan.
Contents
Chapter 1China’s Rise in Mainland ASEAN: An Introduction
Suthiphand Chirathivat, Buddhagarn Rutchatorn, and Wasutadon Nakawiroj
Chapter 2Xi Jinping Thought and Mainland ASEAN
Vira Somboon
Yang Baoyun and Patcharinruja Juntaronanont
Part 2 Implications and Responses
Chapter 4China’s Rising Influence in Myanmar: Implications, Responses, and Future Strategy
Aung Kyaw
Anupama Devendrakumar
Chapter 6China’s Rising Influence in Thailand: Translocal Human Mobility and Its Impact
Supang Chantavanich
Part 3 Perspectives on Trade, Investment, and External Debt
Chapter 7The Increasing Reliance of Vietnam on China’s Economy: Causes and Impacts
Tuan Pham
Chapter 8Vietnam — China Economic Cooperation: Aid or Burden?
Nguyễn Văn Chính and Đinh Thị Thanh Huyền
Chapter 9Determinants of FDI and Policies for Attracting Chinese FDI into Laos
Thantavanh Manolom and Somdeth Bodhisane
Alay Phonvisay and Thantavanh Manolom
Chapter 11China’s Rising Influence and Its Implications on Myanmar–Thailand Trade
Mu Mu Theint
Chapter 12Experiencing the Dian-Việt Railway Corridor as Panoramization: A View from the Past
Stan BH Tan-Tangbau
Chapter 13Thailand–Laos–Vietnam and Southern China: Land Logistic and Transportation
Nisachol Thaithong and Nisarat Thaithong
Wasutadon Nakawiroj, Pak Veerastien, and Buddhagarn Rutchatorn
Chapter 1
China’s Rise in Mainland ASEAN: An Introduction
Suthiphand Chirathivat, Buddhagarn Rutchatorn, and Wasutadon Nakawiroj
1.1.Background
China’s growing influence all around the world and in the Southeast Asian (or ASEAN) region has continued to be unabated and well advanced as part of China’s assertive diplomacy (Kai He, 2018; Martin, 2009; Lin, 2011; Henderson et al., 2013; Wang & Miao, 2019). There has been considerable progress in China’s economic and strategic relationships with ASEAN during the past few decades, starting with her opening up to the world at the beginning of the 1990s, and soon after establishing ASEAN as a dialogue partner. In between, ASEAN’s strong interactions with China can be seen, through several regional and sub-regional initiatives such as the ASEAN Regional Forum, the East Asia Summit, the ASEAN–China FTA, and the Lancang–Mekong Cooperation, all of which have helped China engage directly or indirectly with ASEAN. At the same time, there has also been an increasing awareness among the ASEAN member countries of the need to adjust themselves to the new trends, trajectories, and environment, with main concerns related both in terms of opportunities and risks in dealing with China, particularly the recent disputes over the South China Sea.
In light of these concerns, it seems that, nowhere else, has, perhaps, a strong resonant, meaningful, and impactful ground as great as ASEAN’s, particularly on its mainland, which is next to China along a common border of 3,891 km. Whether taking the standpoint of individual countries or the region as a whole, it looks as if the new “size matters” era of China has more recently taken its prime place in time and space through porous borders and elsewhere, and it has become so obvious that there is a much greater presence of China or anything Chinese everywhere in ASEAN. Various issues that come along with