September 05, 2012

Influence for Sale? China’s Trade, Investment and Assistance Policies in Southeast Asia

In Influence for Sale? China's Trade, Investment and Assistance Policies in Southeast Asia, author Shanthi Kalathil argues that while China's significant investment in Southeast Asia has improved relations with Vietnam and other Southeast Asian neighbors in some ways, it has proved less effective than is commonly perceived. Kalathil contends that China’s development projects have often alienated local populations, and its nationalistic rhetoric over the South China Sea has increasingly strained its relations with other South China Sea claimants.

Author

  • Shanthi Kalathil

    Senior Director, International Forum for Democratic Studies, National Endowment for Democracy

    Shanthi Kalathil is senior director of the International Forum for Democratic Studies at the National Endowment for Democracy. Her work focuses primarily on authoritarian chal...

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