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

    Visiting Senior Fellow, German Marshall Fund of the United States

    Shanthi Kalathil is a distinguished advisor, consultant, and speaker specializing in national security, democratic resilience, and strategic competition in the information age...

  • Reports
    • March 18, 2025
    Assessing China’s Nuclear Decision-Making

    China’s rapid nuclear buildup is raising questions about how the country makes decisions related to nuclear weapons. This policy brief analyzes that trend by presenting three ...

    By Jacob Stokes

  • Commentary
    • January 20, 2025
    Articulate a Comprehensive, Coherent China Strategy

    President Trump should articulate a comprehensive, coherent China strategy that addresses U.S. objectives, the ways and means to achieve them, and how the strategy can mitigat...

    By Jacob Stokes

  • Commentary
    • Sharper
    • August 21, 2024
    Sharper: Axis of Upheaval

    A loose but growing coalition between Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea demonstrates that their combined strategic interests have the potential to pose significant economic...

    By Anna Pederson

  • Commentary
    • The National Interest
    • August 8, 2024
    The Will and the Power: China’s Plan to Undermine Pax Americana

    From Washington’s Farewell Address to Biden’s national security strategy, the core U.S. national interest, unsurprisingly, has not changed: to ensure the fundamental security ...

    By Richard Fontaine & Robert Blackwill

View All Reports View All Articles & Multimedia