In Pursuit of Connectivity: China Invests in Southeast Asian Infrastructure
Daojiong, Zha | October 2018
Abstract
Five years into China’s invitation for Southeast Asian economies to work in synchrony toward an envisioned ‘maritime silk road’, skepticism in the region risks being proven correct. Signature projects such as railways in Indonesia and Thailand are facing either chronic delays in construction, or protracted renegotiation. Port projects in Malaysia and Cambodia face questioning about geostrategic goals and economic viability upon eventual completion. China-loaned railway and oil/gas pipeline projects in Malaysia, also constructed by Chinese companies, made headlines in Malaysia’s election debates and were suspended when the new government assumed office. Negativity, at least in the mass media and policy discussion circles across the region, is a key feature of the state of progress and even future prospects of connectivity projects by China.
In a material sense, Chinese investment in maritime ports, airports, railroads and highways, all designed to enhance flows of trade in goods and tourism within the region and beyond, is needed in the region. As a matter of fact, with regard to many of the construction projects under the media limelight, the Chinese involvement helped to fill a development void that has existed for decades, if not longer. For these projects to become successful, beginning with a controversy-free construction phase, the continuing international questioning about ulterior motives behind China’s efforts does not augur well for either China or recipient societies that welcomed Chinese investment in the first place. The more productive orientation is to critically examine the issues at hand and find ways to improve the level of collaboration toward enhanced connectivity.
Citation
Daojiong, Zha. 2018. In Pursuit of Connectivity: China Invests in Southeast Asian Infrastructure. © ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute. http://hdl.handle.net/11540/8905.ISSN
2335-6677
Keywords
Bus Transportation Costs
Demand For Transport
Means Of Transport
National Transport
Passenger Transport
Road & Highway Transport
Road Transportation Systems
Sea Transport
Transport Costs
Transport Efficiency
Transport Infrastructure
Transport Planning
Transport Policy
Transport Services
Transport Systems
Transport Tax
Transportation
Aid And Development
Asian Development Bank
Comprehensive Development Framework
Development Cooperation
Development Management
Development Planning
Development Strategies
Development In East Asia
Development Planning
Development Research
Green revolution
Modes of transport
Airports
Ports
Shipping
Taxis
Vehicle
Automobile industry
Road traffic
Inland transport
International transport
Public transport
Urban transport
Transport projects
Transport workers
Transport statistics
Transport networks
Urban traffic
Rural planning
Aid coordination
Industrial projects
Infrastructure projects
Natural resources policy
Educational development
Development strategy
Development models
Economic development
Communication and traffic
Navigation
Transport planes
Air transportation industry
Air transportation system
Intra-airport transportation
Inland water transportation
Intercoastal shipping
Marine transportation
Local transit
Highway transportation
Motor transportation
Student transportation
Choice of transportation
Public transportation
Transportation industry
Mass transit
Municipal transit
Communication in rural development
Communication in community development
Economic development projects
Development banks
Economic forecasting
Environmental auditing
Cumulative effects assessment
Human rights and globalization
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