在緬甸的中國經濟攻勢

英文摘要
Although the rise of an economically powerful China benefits many developing countries, many worry about China’s surging regional and global influences, especially in Southeast Asia. It is true that China has risen fast, but how successfully it has translated its rising power into actual political influence remains a question. In this study I answer this question by examining a crucial case of the Sino-Myanmar relationship. Because Myanmar relies heavily on China, it is one of the most likely countries to be heavily influenced by China. If, however, Myanmar has been less cooperative under such an imbalanced relationship, then China’s actual influence may be exaggerated. I use the Composite Index of Economic Influence (CIEI) to show which country Myanmar depends on the most in terms of economic interdependence. The CIEI indicates that Myanmar relies on China the most and cannot be easily replaced in the short term. Given such a high interdependent relationship, however, evidence shows that since Myanmar started political reform in 2011, its behavior has begun to deviate from China’s positions on the issues of human rights and a nuclear-free world. Furthermore China’s influence has not been well received by the local communities who view Chinese-supported projects as exploitative economic adventurism. This study explores the causes of this opposition in an analysis of China’s investments in the Myitsone Dam and Letpadaung copper mine projects. Results suggest that China’s soft footprints do not appear as strong and welcome as perceived. The power from interdependent relationship requires political and social cohesion to take hold.