The Foreign Policy Implications of the Belt and Road Initiative in the Mekong Region: Comparative Case Studies of Laos and Cambodia

Anna Starilova

Diplomová práce

Anotace:

This thesis investigates the foreign policy responses of Laos and Cambodia to China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), analyzing how small states navigate asymmetric relations amid expanding Chinese influence in Southeast Asia. Using a comparative case study approach, the research applies the frameworks of Neoclassical Realism and Foreign Policy Analysis to examine the complex interplay between systemic pressures and domestic variables. The analysis demonstrates that Laos conceptualizes the BRI as a means to national development and regional integration, emphasizing its transformation from a 'landlocked' to a 'land-linked' state. In contrast, Cambodia leverages the Initiative primarily as a tool for consolidating regime authority, particularly in the context of strained relations with Western actors. The comparative findings highlight the importance of internal governance structures and elite preferences in shaping foreign policy orientations. As a result, the study offers insight into how domestic political factors shape the foreign policy behavior of economically dependent states in response to China's strategic engagement.

Abstract:

This thesis investigates the foreign policy responses of Laos and Cambodia to China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), analyzing how small states navigate asymmetric relations amid expanding Chinese influence in Southeast Asia. Using a comparative case study approach, the research applies the frameworks of Neoclassical Realism and Foreign Policy Analysis to examine the complex interplay between systemic pressures and domestic variables. The analysis demonstrates that Laos conceptualizes the BRI as a means to national development and regional integration, emphasizing its transformation from a 'landlocked' to a 'land-linked' state. In contrast, Cambodia leverages the Initiative primarily as a tool for consolidating regime authority, particularly in the context of strained relations with Western actors. The comparative findings highlight the importance of internal governance structures and elite preferences in shaping foreign policy orientations. As a result, the study offers insight into how domestic political factors shape the foreign policy behavior of economically dependent states in response to China's strategic engagement.

Klíčová slova

Laos, Cambodia, China, Foreign Policy, Neoclassical Realism, Belt and Road Initiative, Foreign Policy Analysis, Small States, Southeast Asia, Mekong Region

Keywords

Belt and Road Initiative, Foreign Policy, Neoclassical Realism, Foreign Policy Analysis, Small States, Southeast Asia, Mekong Region, China, Laos, Cambodia

Jazyk práce: angličtina

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 23. 4. 2025

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Obhajoba proběhla 11. 6. 2025
• Vedoucí: Jeremy Alan Garlick
• Oponent: Sebestyén Hompot

Vysoká škola ekonomická v Praze

Magisterský studijní program:
International and Diplomatic Studies