CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2022
| Author | Ny, Sophy |
|---|---|
| Title | The Impacts of China's Aid and Investment in Cambodia The Case of Sihanoukville |
| Summary | Cambodia has undertaken state-building and restoration efforts after the 1991 Paris Peace Agreement. Since then, Cambodia has received assistance from a range of donors. In the early 2000s, Cambodia was known as one of the countries with the most significant foreign intervention, with a majority of its budget coming from foreign aid. Due to Cambodia and China's strong political ties, Cambodia has received considerable China's aid and investment. Therefore, this paper examines the implications of China's aid and investment in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. For the design and analysis of this study, a single case study method was used. Due to the unreliability and lack of transparency of Chinese assistance, qualitative research was used to investigate the effects of Chinese aid in Cambodia. Sihanoukville can serve as an example for other recipients of Chinese aid and investment regarding the potential benefits and undesired outcomes. Developing countries welcome Chinese aid when it can meet their demands, especially if there is no other funding source. However, despite the claim of "no strings attached," China's aid may promote Chinese interests over those of locals, as demonstrated in the case of Sihanoukville. The findings of this research suggest that China's aid and investment in Cambodia appear to be mutually beneficial to economic development. Nevertheless, China's aid and investment may bring about social and cultural consequences and harm Cambodians' relations with other foreign donors. Hence, the government should balance ties with others, safeguard neutrality and sovereignty, and avoid China's debt trap while diversifying its economy and strengthening international trade connectivity. |
| Supervisor | Bodenstein Thilo Daniel |
| Department | Public Policy MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2022/ny_sophy.pdf |
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