Is Chinese investment driving authoritarianism? Evidence from the first decade of the belt and road in Southeast Asia
By: Loughlin, Neil
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Material type: 
BookPublisher: Comparative Politics Description: 57(4), Jul, 2025: p.505-528.Subject(s): Authoritarianism, Belt and road, Cambodia, China, Investment, Malaysia, Southeast Asia
In:
Comparative PoliticsSummary: This article investigates the impact of Chinese investment on authoritarianism through the lens of authoritarian linkage, focusing on the first decade of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Southeast Asia, particularly Cambodia and Malaysia. While both countries were electoral autocracies when the BRI was launched in 2013, their regime trajectories diverged. In Cambodia, Chinese investment reinforced elite patronage networks and coercive state-society relations, stabilizing the regime during political unrest. Conversely, in Malaysia, it contributed to the collapse of the long-ruling authoritarian coalition by exacerbating elite fragmentation and popular discontent over corruption, which has led to greater political competition. These findings demonstrate how domestic political economy dynamics mediate the effects of Chinese investment, revealing its variable influence on regime outcomes.- Reproduced
https://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/cuny/cp/2025/00000057/00000004/art00005
| Item type | Current location | Call number | Vol info | Status | Date due | Barcode |
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Articles
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Indian Institute of Public Administration | 57(4), Jul, 2025: p.505-528 | Available | AR136787 |
This article investigates the impact of Chinese investment on authoritarianism through the lens of authoritarian linkage, focusing on the first decade of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Southeast Asia, particularly Cambodia and Malaysia. While both countries were electoral autocracies when the BRI was launched in 2013, their regime trajectories diverged. In Cambodia, Chinese investment reinforced elite patronage networks and coercive state-society relations, stabilizing the regime during political unrest. Conversely, in Malaysia, it contributed to the collapse of the long-ruling authoritarian coalition by exacerbating elite fragmentation and popular discontent over corruption, which has led to greater political competition. These findings demonstrate how domestic political economy dynamics mediate the effects of Chinese investment, revealing its variable influence on regime outcomes.- Reproduced
https://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/cuny/cp/2025/00000057/00000004/art00005
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