Between system maker and privileges taker: the role of China in the Greater Mekong Sub-region

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor(a) principal: Vu,Truong-Minh
Data de Publicação: 2014
Tipo de documento: Artigo
Idioma: eng
Título da fonte: Revista brasileira de política internacional (Online)
Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-73292014000300157
Resumo: Utilizing China's leadership projects in the Great Mekong Sub-Region (GMS) as a case study, this paper aims to investigate whether China qualifies as an international leader. This work argues that its geographic position and economic rise allow China to be a "system maker and privilege taker," which is a dual role forming in economic-political relations in the GMS in the last ten years. China is among major driving forces to set up an economic zone in GMS. Growing Chinese regional power is intimately related to the creation of various hubs connecting regional transportation, communication and energy systems that foster the economic development of this region. However, China also proves dark sides of rising powers which take advantage of their privileges to gain benefits. As a "system maker" with its own position and capability, China has notably benefited from building hydropower systems. More importantly, while China is pursuing its benefits and privileges, its hydropower projects have caused some negative effects for the ecosystem in the region. The inflation of dam constructions in both China and GMS countries is raising concerns about using natural resources of the Mekong River. Our concluding part addresses the pressing need to start a serious discussion on the balance between national interests and regional solidarity within the formulation of Chinese foreign policy in GMS.
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spelling Between system maker and privileges taker: the role of China in the Greater Mekong Sub-regionChina's riseGreat Mekong Sub-Regionsystem maker, privilege takerUtilizing China's leadership projects in the Great Mekong Sub-Region (GMS) as a case study, this paper aims to investigate whether China qualifies as an international leader. This work argues that its geographic position and economic rise allow China to be a "system maker and privilege taker," which is a dual role forming in economic-political relations in the GMS in the last ten years. China is among major driving forces to set up an economic zone in GMS. Growing Chinese regional power is intimately related to the creation of various hubs connecting regional transportation, communication and energy systems that foster the economic development of this region. However, China also proves dark sides of rising powers which take advantage of their privileges to gain benefits. As a "system maker" with its own position and capability, China has notably benefited from building hydropower systems. More importantly, while China is pursuing its benefits and privileges, its hydropower projects have caused some negative effects for the ecosystem in the region. The inflation of dam constructions in both China and GMS countries is raising concerns about using natural resources of the Mekong River. Our concluding part addresses the pressing need to start a serious discussion on the balance between national interests and regional solidarity within the formulation of Chinese foreign policy in GMS.Centro de Estudos Globais da Universidade de Brasília2014-01-01info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersiontext/htmlhttp://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-73292014000300157Revista Brasileira de Política Internacional v.57 n.spe 2014reponame:Revista brasileira de política internacional (Online)instname:Instituto Brasileiro de Relações Internacionais (IBRI)instacron:IBRI10.1590/0034-7329201400210info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessVu,Truong-Minheng2015-09-23T00:00:00Zoai:scielo:S0034-73292014000300157Revistahttp://www.scielo.br/rbpihttps://old.scielo.br/oai/scielo-oai.php||editoria@ibri-rbpi.org1983-31210034-7329opendoar:2015-09-23T00:00Revista brasileira de política internacional (Online) - Instituto Brasileiro de Relações Internacionais (IBRI)false
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Between system maker and privileges taker: the role of China in the Greater Mekong Sub-region
title Between system maker and privileges taker: the role of China in the Greater Mekong Sub-region
spellingShingle Between system maker and privileges taker: the role of China in the Greater Mekong Sub-region
Vu,Truong-Minh
China's rise
Great Mekong Sub-Region
system maker, privilege taker
title_short Between system maker and privileges taker: the role of China in the Greater Mekong Sub-region
title_full Between system maker and privileges taker: the role of China in the Greater Mekong Sub-region
title_fullStr Between system maker and privileges taker: the role of China in the Greater Mekong Sub-region
title_full_unstemmed Between system maker and privileges taker: the role of China in the Greater Mekong Sub-region
title_sort Between system maker and privileges taker: the role of China in the Greater Mekong Sub-region
author Vu,Truong-Minh
author_facet Vu,Truong-Minh
author_role author
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv Vu,Truong-Minh
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv China's rise
Great Mekong Sub-Region
system maker, privilege taker
topic China's rise
Great Mekong Sub-Region
system maker, privilege taker
description Utilizing China's leadership projects in the Great Mekong Sub-Region (GMS) as a case study, this paper aims to investigate whether China qualifies as an international leader. This work argues that its geographic position and economic rise allow China to be a "system maker and privilege taker," which is a dual role forming in economic-political relations in the GMS in the last ten years. China is among major driving forces to set up an economic zone in GMS. Growing Chinese regional power is intimately related to the creation of various hubs connecting regional transportation, communication and energy systems that foster the economic development of this region. However, China also proves dark sides of rising powers which take advantage of their privileges to gain benefits. As a "system maker" with its own position and capability, China has notably benefited from building hydropower systems. More importantly, while China is pursuing its benefits and privileges, its hydropower projects have caused some negative effects for the ecosystem in the region. The inflation of dam constructions in both China and GMS countries is raising concerns about using natural resources of the Mekong River. Our concluding part addresses the pressing need to start a serious discussion on the balance between national interests and regional solidarity within the formulation of Chinese foreign policy in GMS.
publishDate 2014
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2014-01-01
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-73292014000300157
url http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-73292014000300157
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv 10.1590/0034-7329201400210
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv text/html
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Centro de Estudos Globais da Universidade de Brasília
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Centro de Estudos Globais da Universidade de Brasília
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Revista Brasileira de Política Internacional v.57 n.spe 2014
reponame:Revista brasileira de política internacional (Online)
instname:Instituto Brasileiro de Relações Internacionais (IBRI)
instacron:IBRI
instname_str Instituto Brasileiro de Relações Internacionais (IBRI)
instacron_str IBRI
institution IBRI
reponame_str Revista brasileira de política internacional (Online)
collection Revista brasileira de política internacional (Online)
repository.name.fl_str_mv Revista brasileira de política internacional (Online) - Instituto Brasileiro de Relações Internacionais (IBRI)
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