A Norm-Taker or a Norm-Maker? Chinese aid in Southeast Asia

Benefit sharing in the Mekong River basin

“…In addition to socio-economic benefits, the effect of Chinese development aid bestowed on the downstream countries, in particular Lao PDR and Cambodia, has helped bolster socio-economic development in the fields of transport, telecommunication, health, education, human resources development and construction, which can lead to regional cooperation (Ho, 2014;Reilly, 2012;Schmeier, 2010). Also, Chinese investment in downstream dams has softened complaints about the China's upstream dams (Ho, 2014).…”

Emerging donors and new contests over aid policy in Pacific Asia

“…Describing these donors as providers of 'rogue aid', he has warned that their approach will lead to a world that is 'more corrupt, chaotic and authoritarian ' (2007, 95). Other commentators in this camp have suggested that emerging donors should be socialised into adhering to the DAC model in order to prevent aid recipients from developing unsustainable debt levels and postponing 'much needed' governance and accountability reforms (Manning 2006, 381À2;Dreher et al 2011;Henderson 2008;Reilly 2012a). Many have reserved their strongest criticism for China: according to Samy (2010, 86) and Nour (2010), for instance, China's aid programme has undermined established donors' efforts at reducing corruption and improving governance, enforcing desirable labour and environmental standards, and preventing unsustainable debt levels.…”

“…But scholars have so far done little to analyse emerging donors' foreign aid in terms of the political contests it has unleashed, particularly at the domestic level, despite their general recognition that foreign aid policy is the product of political processes (Mawdsley 2012;Breslin 2013;Reilly 2012a). As noted above, some scholars have begun to examine the new contests that have emerged at the international and regional levels, most notably over the content of the Busan agreement on development effectiveness and the policies and practices of the World Bank, the IMF and the ADB (Chin 2012;Eyben and Savage 2013;Vestergaard and Wade 2013;Ferdinand and Wang 2013).…”

“…In recent years, some of these contests have played out at the international and regional levels, whether in the context of multilateral aid agencies such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or the Asian Development Bank (ADB) (Chin 2012;Reilly 2012aReilly , 2012bVestergaard and Wade 2013;Ferdinand and Wang 2013) or international meetings such as the 2011 High Level Forum (HLF) on Aid Effectiveness in Busan (Gore 2013;Kim and Lee 2013;Eyben and Savage 2013). New contests over aid policy have also been unleashed at the domestic level.…”

The Impact of International Perception on China’s Approach to Human Rights

“…Regarding Chinese aid, the bulk of it has been requested by the host country. Thus, the construction projects carried out by China abroad are the requests of the host governments ([31], p. 72). Reilly argues that the Chinese government has two main objectives with its aid program: Bpursuing strategic interests while also bolstering Beijing's credibility as a responsible contributor to global and regional governance^([31], p. 73).…”