Prof. Jean-Marc F. Blanchard attended the International Studies Association 57th annual meeting

In mid-March 2016, Prof. Jean-Marc F. Blanchard attended the International Studies Association 57th annual meeting, the largest global gathering of international relations specialists, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.  On March 18, he presented a paper entitled “Chinese Outward FDI and Southeast Asian Foreign Policy: Explaining Differential Impacts.”  In his presentation, he discussed why Chinese outward foreign direct investment (COFDI) seems to be having differential impacts on the foreign policies of Cambodia and Vietnam towards the People’s Republic of China (PRC).  He argued that COFDI, in conjunction with significant trade, assistance, and other ties, has promoted a deferential Cambodian stance towards the PRC partly because of economic logics, but also because, among other things, the regime in Phnom Penh sees China as a way to balance against Vietnam, to ensure its continued domestic survival, and because the gains from shifting towards others are limited.  In contrast, COFDI and other economic dependencies between Vietnam and China fail to promote a warm Vietnamese stance towards China because Hanoi sees it as a threat, does not view its economic links with China only in a positive light, and does not feel Chinese support is crucial to staying in power domestically.