Examining the Effect of China Foreign Aid and Diplomacy on Cambodia Good Governance and Growth Stability
- Kakronna Chhin-Eng , Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies, Rangsit University, Pathum Thani 12000, Thailand
- Sasiphattra Siriwato, Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies, Rangsit University, Pathum Thani 12000, Thailand, Corresponding author, E-mail: sasiphattra.s@rsu.ac.th
Abstract
Talking of Foreign Aid, or so-called foreign resource assistance, Cambodia sees reconstruction through the light of foreign aid, which has helped Cambodia to rebuild its economy and reconstructed the entire government structure after the country went through several years of bloodshed because of civil wars and the transitional phase of its government since the post-colonial era. Cambodia tended to normalize and open up for foreign aid since then, up to a point that the huge influx of foreign assistance raises such concern of negative consequences for the state. This research aims to examine the impact and risk of China foreign aid diplomacy in consequence to achieve a good governance and its growth stability. This research then analyzes the impact and risk of excessive reliance on China foreign aid in Cambodia by providing a wider and critical view toward the consequences of weaponized aid, and particularly the assessment to the effect of China foreign aid and diplomacy toward Cambodia’s politics and her economic well-being. Significant issues affiliated with the back-bone of the received aid ranged from the politicized aid accumulation, reliance on aid, swing in notions of foreign policy, and the aid dependency fragmentation. Six participants from both the governmental sector and international organizations were interviewed. This research found that the motives of aid disbursement to Cambodia are strategically driven by the donor’s hegemonic goals, which led Cambodia to encounter such difficulties in maintaining its well-being. Plus, considering the huge amount of aid received in Cambodia, it has given the country the dilemma of being over reliant on the aid in which would end up in fragmentation among its economy and diplomacy. Despite the fast-paced infrastructure development, Cambodia, on the other hand, would have to incur such debt and a huge source from one major donor would lead Cambodia to ignore countless sanctions and conditions for good governance through foreign aid from others donor agencies, making up the country isolated both of its market and politics.
Keywords: Foreign Aid Diplomacy, Good governance, Foreign aid’s motive and its risk, Official Development Assistance, Realism; Aid Dependency
DOI: 10.14456/jcsh.2024.5
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