Research Article
BibTex RIS Cite

When Repressed Civil Society Attracts Foreign Investors: The Dual Dimensions of Chinese Foreign Direct Investment in Southeast Asia

Year 2025, , 1 - 25

Lin Sae-phoo Shaka Y.j. Li Raras Cahyafitri

https://doi.org/10.33458/uidergisi.1760185

Abstract

What is the relationship between Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) and human rights in host countries? As China has emerged as one of the world’s leading international investors, examining the determinants of FDI inflows from a non-democratic and non-Western power offers valuable insights into a central theoretical puzzle: Does repression attract FDI? This paper engages with theories on FDI and human rights, focusing on the interplay between repression, political stability, and natural resource rents and how these factors shape the investment preferences of foreign actors. The central hypotheses—stability maintenance and extractive repression—propose that countries exhibiting higher political stability and greater reliance on natural resource rents are more likely to attract Chinese outward FDI. Recipient governments may be incentivized to employ coercive measures to foster a stable investment climate. Using regression analysis covering the period from 2003 to 2023, alongside two country case studies—Cambodia and Indonesia—this study investigates the conditions under which human rights conditions in host countries are associated with Chinese FDI inflows. Most importantly, the findings reveal two distinct dimensions of Chinese FDI, illustrating how it can be drawn to repressive recipient countries in rentier and non-rentier state contexts. By shedding light on the dynamics of Chinese investment in Southeast Asia, this paper contributes to the broader literature on China’s global engagement and FDI.

Keywords

Chinese FDI civil society repression political stability natural resource rents Southeast Asia

References

  • Adam, A., and F. Filippaios. 2007. Foreign Direct Investment and Civil Liberties: A New Perspective. European Journal of Political Economy 23: 1038–1052.
  • Andersen, J. J., and M. L. Ross. 2014. The Big Oil Change: A Closer Look at the Haber–Menaldo Analysis. Comparative Political Studies 47, 7: 993–1021.
  • Asiedu, E. 2006. Foreign Direct Investment in Africa: The Role of Natural Resources, Market Size, Government Policy, Institutions and Political Instability. World Economy 29, 1: 63–77.
  • Asiedu, E., and D. Lien. 2011. Democracy, Foreign Direct Investment and Natural Resources. Journal of International Economics 84: 99–111.
  • Baccini, L., P. M. Pinto, and S. Weymouth. 2017. The Distributional Consequences of Preferential Trade Liberalization: Firm-level Evidence. International Organization 71, 2: 373–395.
  • Bader, J. 2014. China's Foreign Relations and the Survival of Autocracies. London, Routledge.
  • Barry, C. M., K. C. Clay, and M. E. Flynn. 2013. Avoiding the Spotlight: Human Rights Shaming and Foreign Direct Investment. International Studies Quarterly 57, 3:532–544.
  • Basedau, M., and J. Lay. 2009. Resource Curse or Rentier Peace? The Ambiguous Effects of Oil Wealth and Oil Dependence on Violent Conflict. Journal of Peace Research 46, 6:757–776.
  • Beblawi, H.. 1990. The Rentier State in the Arab World. In The Arab State, ed. G. Luciani. London, Routledge.
  • Bernhard, M. et al. 2017. Making Embedded Knowledge Transparent: How the V-Dem Dataset Opens New Vistas in Civil Society Research. Perspectives on Politics 15, 2: 342–360.
  • Biglaiser, G., and K. (Lilly) Lu. 2021. The Politics of Chinese and US Foreign Direct Investment in the Developing World. Asian Survey 61, 3: 500–531.
  • Biglaiser, G., and L. K. Lu. 2022. Political Risk and Economic Sectors: Chinese Overseas Public and Private Investment in the Developing World. Foreign Policy Analysis 18, 3, orac013.
  • Biglaiser, G., K. (Lilly) Lu, and H. Lee. 2024. Domestic Political Unrest and Chinese Overseas Foreign Direct Investment. Studies in Comparative International Development 59: 582–609.
  • Biglaiser, G., L. Y. Hunter, and K. (Lilly) Lu. 2024a. Chinese and US Overseas Foreign Direct Investment and Democracy in the Developing World. Journal of Asian and African Studies: 1-18.
  • BKPM. 2024. Realisasi investasi. Investment Coordination Board. https://www.bkpm.go.id/id/info/realisasi-investasi/2024.
  • Blanton, R. G., and C. Apodaca. 2007. Economic Globalization and Violent Civil Conflict: Is Openness a Pathway to Peace? The Social Science Journal 44, 4: 599–619.
  • Blanton, R. G., and S. L. Blanton. 2007. Human Rights and Trade: Beyond the “Spotlight”. International Interactions 33, 2: 97–117.
  • Blanton, R. G., and S. L. Blanton. 2012. Labor Rights and Foreign Direct Investment: Is There a Race to the Bottom? International Interactions 38, 3: 267–294.
  • Blanton, S. L., and R. G. Blanton. 2006. Human Rights and Foreign Direct Investment: A Two-stage Analysis Business & Society 45, 4: 464–485.
  • Blanton, S. L., and R. G. Blanton. 2007a. What Attracts Foreign Investors? An Examination of Human Rights and Foreign Direct Investment. The Journal of Politics 69, 1: 143–155.
  • Blanton, S. L., and R. G. Blanton. 2009. A Sectoral Analysis of Human Rights and FDI: Does Industry Type Matter? International Studies Quarterly 53, 2: 469–493.
  • Bohara, A. K. et al. 2008. Human Rights Violations, Corruption, and the Policy of Repression. Policy Studies Journal 36, 1:1–18.
  • Buckley, P. J. et al. 2018. A Retrospective and Agenda for Future Research on Chinese Outward Foreign Direct Investment. Journal of International Business Studies 49: 4–23.
  • Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. 2023. 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Cambodia. U.S. Department of State. https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-country-reports- on-human-rights-practices/cambodia/.
  • Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs. 2024. 2024 Investment Climate Statements: Cambodia. U.S. Department of State. https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-investment-climate- statements/cambodia/.
  • Chen, W., D. Dollar, and H. Tang. 2018. Why Is China Investing in Africa? Evidence from the Firm Level. The World Bank Economic Review 32, 3: 610–632.
  • Christina, B., and A. Teresia. 2023. Indonesia Deploys Security Forces after Nickel Smelter Protest Turns Deadly.” Reuters January 16. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/violence-indonesia- nickel-smelter-protest-kills-2-dozens-detained-2023-01-16/.
  • Coppedge, M. et al. 2024. V-Dem Methodology v14. V-Dem Methodology v14 (March 7, 2024). V-Dem Dataset. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4782726.
  • Dean, A. 2022. Arresting the Opposition: Labor Repression and Trade Liberalization in Developing Countries. International Studies Quarterly 66, 3: 184–208.
  • Dodlova, M., and V. Lucas. 2021. Regime Security and Taxation in Autocracies: Who is Taxed and How? European Journal of Political Economy 67: 1–15.
  • Filippaios, F. et al. 2019. Political Governance, Civil Liberties, and Human Capital: Evaluating Their Effect on Foreign Direct Investment in Emerging and Developing Economies. Journal of International Business Studies 50: 1103–1129.
  • Garriga, A. C.. 2016. Human Rights Regimes, Reputation, and Foreign Direct Investment. International Studies Quarterly 60, 1: 160–172.
  • Gellert, P. K. 2010. Extractive Regimes: Toward a Better Understanding of Indonesian Development. Rural Sociology 75, 1: 28–57.
  • Genschel, P., H. Lierse, and L. Seelkopf. 2016. Dictators don't Compete: Autocracy, Democracy, and Tax Competition. Review of International Political Economy 23, 2: 290–315.
  • Globerman, S., and D. Shapiro. 2003. Governance Infrastructure and US Foreign Direct Investment. Journal of International Business Studies 34: 19–39.
  • Goh, E., and L. Nan. 2023. Chinese Investments in Southeast Asia: Patterns and Significance. Singapore, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.
  • Gonzalez-Vicente, R. 2011. China's Engagement in South America and Africa's Extractive Sectors: New Perspectives for Resource Curse Theories. The Pacific Review 24, 1:65–87.
  • Haftel, Y. Z. 2010. Ratification Counts: US Investment Treaties and FDI Flows into Developing Countries. Review of International Political Economy 17, 2: 348–377.
  • Habib, M., and L. Zurawicki. 2002. Corruption and Foreign Direct Investment. Journal of International Business Studies 33, 2: 291–307.
  • Human Rights Watch. 2023. Cambodia: Labor Leader, Activists Face Baseless Charges. March 14. https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/03/14/cambodia-labor-leader-activists-face-baseless-charges.
  • IEA. 2024. Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2024. International Energy Agency. https://www.iea.org/reports/global-critical-minerals-outlook-2024.
  • Iammarino, S., M. Sumontheany, and N. Kosal. 2024. 20 Years of FDI in Cambodia: Towards Upper Middle-Income Status and Beyond. Cambodia Development Resource Institute.
  • Jin, C. 2025. Debating National Identity Through the China Model: An Ideological Spectrum Analysis. Uluslararası İlişkiler Advanced Online Publication: 1–18.
  • Jong, H. N. 2024. Indonesian Nickel Project Harms Environment and Human Rights, Report Says. Mongabay, February 26. https://news.mongabay.com/2024/02/indonesian-nickel-project-harms- environment-and-human-rights-report-says/.
  • Kaufmann, D., and A. C. Kraay. The Worldwide Governance Indicators: Methodology and 2024 Update (English). Washington, World Bank Group.
  • Kolstad, I., and A. Wiig. 2012. What Determines Chinese Outward FDI? Journal of World Business 47, 1: 26–34.
  • Li, Q., and A. Resnick. 2003. Reversal of Fortunes: Democratic Institutions and Foreign Direct Investment Inflows to Developing Countries. International Organization 57, 1: 175–211.
  • Liberati, P. 2007. Trade Openness, Capital Openness and Government Size. Journal of Public Policy 27, 2: 215–247.
  • London, B., and R. J. S. Ross. 1995. The Political Sociology of Foreign Direct Investment: Global Capitalism and Capital Mobility, 1965-1980. International Journal of Comparative Sociology 36, 3: 198-218.
  • Lu, K., and R. G. Blanton. 2024. Rights, Institutions, and Chinese Investment Abroad. The Social Science Journal: 1–19.
  • Mayer, M., and X. Zhang. 2021. Theorizing China-world Integration: Sociospatial Reconfigurations and the Modern Silk Roads. Review of International Political Economy 28, 4: 974–1003.
  • MOFCOM, NBS and SAFE. 2024. Statistical Bulletin of China's Outward Foreign Direct Investment 2023. Beijing, China Financial and Economic Publishing House.
  • Moon, C. 2019. Political Institutions and FDI Inflows in Autocratic Countries. Democratization 26, 7: 1256–1277.
  • Mosley, L., and S. Uno. 2007. Racing to the Bottom or Climbing to the Top? Economic Globalization and Collective Labor Rights. Comparative Political Studies 40, 8: 923–948.
  • Mourao, P. R. 2018. What is China Seeking from Africa? An Analysis of the Economic and Political Determinants of Chinese Outward Foreign Direct Investment Based on Stochastic Frontier Models. China Economic Review 48: 258–268.
  • Oatley, T. 2021. Regaining Relevance: IPE and a Changing Global Political Economy. Cambridge Review of International Affairs 34, 2: 318–327.
  • Örsün, Ö. F. 2020. Dimensions of Democracy and Military Expenditure. Uluslararası İlişkiler 17, 67: 61–80.
  • Ramasamy, B., M. Yeung, and S. Laforet. 2012. China's Outward Foreign Direct Investment: Location Choice and Firm Ownership. Journal of World Business 47, 1: 17–25.
  • Rios-Morales, R., L. Brennan, and M. Schweizer. 2016. An Assessment of Chinese Foreign Direct Investment in Switzerland. Uluslararası İlişkiler 13, 49: 85–105.
  • Ross, M. L. 2001. Does Oil Hinder Democracy? World Politics 53, 3: 325–361.
  • Smith, B. 2004. Oil Wealth and Regime Survival in the Developing World, 1960-1999. American Journal of Political Science 48, 2: 232–46.
  • Spar, D. L. 1998. The Spotlight and the Bottom Line: How Multinationals Export Human Rights. Foreign Affairs: 7–12.
  • Spar, D. 1999. Foreign Investment and Human Rights. Challenge 42, 1: 55–80.
  • Sum, M. 2024. FDI Inflows Hit $8.1B in One Year. Khmer Times, December 4. https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501602507/fdi-inflows-hit-8-1b-in-one-year/.
  • Tritto, A. 2023. How Indonesia Used Chinese Industrial Investments to Turn Nickel into the New Gold. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
  • Tuman, J. P., and M. Shirali. 2015. The Political Economy of Chinese Foreign Direct Investment in Developing Areas. Foreign Policy Analysis 0: 1–14.
  • Vadlamannati, K. C. 2012. Impact of Political Risk on FDI Revisited—An Aggregate Firm-Level Analysis. International Interactions 38, 1: 111–139.
  • Vadlamannati, K. C., N. Janz, and Ø. I. Berntsen. 2018. Human Rights Shaming and FDI: Effects of the UN Human Rights Commission and Council. World Development 104: 222–237.
  • Vong, M. 2024. The Dynamics of Pro-Government Labour Mobilisation in Cambodia. Journal of Contemporary Asia. https://doi.org/10.1080/00472336.2024.2383476.
  • Walker, S. 2023. Rentier State Theory 50 Years on: New Developments. Frontiers in Political Science 5, DOI: 10.3389/fpos.2023.1120439.
  • Wischermann, J., T. V. P. Dang, and G. M. Sirait. 2023. The State in a Capitalist Society: Protests and State Reactions in Vietnam and Indonesia. Journal of Contemporary Asia 53, 2: 185–206.
  • Yao, S. et al. 2017. Location Determinants of China's Outward Foreign Direct Investment. China & World Economy 25, 6: 1–27.
  • Yıldız, A. 2023. The Rise of China and its Interplay with the Russian and Turkish Regimes. Uluslararası İlişkiler 20, 79: 51-66.
  • Zhang, X., and K. Daly. 2011. The Determinants of China's Outward Foreign Direct Investment. Emerging Markets Review 12, 4: 389–398.

When Repressed Civil Society Attracts Foreign Investors: The Dual Dimensions of Chinese Foreign Direct Investment in Southeast Asia

Year 2025, , 1 - 25

Lin Sae-phoo Shaka Y.j. Li Raras Cahyafitri

https://doi.org/10.33458/uidergisi.1760185

Abstract

What is the relationship between Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) and human rights in host countries? As China has emerged as one of the world’s leading international investors, examining the determinants of FDI inflows from a non-democratic and non-Western power offers valuable insights into a central theoretical puzzle: Does repression attract FDI? This paper engages with theories on FDI and human rights, focusing on the interplay between repression, political stability, and natural resource rents and how these factors shape the investment preferences of foreign actors. The central hypotheses—stability maintenance and extractive repression—propose that countries exhibiting higher political stability and greater reliance on natural resource rents are more likely to attract Chinese outward FDI. Recipient governments may be incentivized to employ coercive measures to foster a stable investment climate. Using regression analysis covering the period from 2003 to 2023, alongside two country case studies—Cambodia and Indonesia—this study investigates the conditions under which human rights conditions in host countries are associated with Chinese FDI inflows. Most importantly, the findings reveal two distinct dimensions of Chinese FDI, illustrating how it can be drawn to repressive recipient countries in rentier and non-rentier state contexts. By shedding light on the dynamics of Chinese investment in Southeast Asia, this paper contributes to the broader literature on China’s global engagement and FDI.

Keywords

Chinese FDI civil society repression political stability natural resource rents Southeast Asia

References

  • Adam, A., and F. Filippaios. 2007. Foreign Direct Investment and Civil Liberties: A New Perspective. European Journal of Political Economy 23: 1038–1052.
  • Andersen, J. J., and M. L. Ross. 2014. The Big Oil Change: A Closer Look at the Haber–Menaldo Analysis. Comparative Political Studies 47, 7: 993–1021.
  • Asiedu, E. 2006. Foreign Direct Investment in Africa: The Role of Natural Resources, Market Size, Government Policy, Institutions and Political Instability. World Economy 29, 1: 63–77.
  • Asiedu, E., and D. Lien. 2011. Democracy, Foreign Direct Investment and Natural Resources. Journal of International Economics 84: 99–111.
  • Baccini, L., P. M. Pinto, and S. Weymouth. 2017. The Distributional Consequences of Preferential Trade Liberalization: Firm-level Evidence. International Organization 71, 2: 373–395.
  • Bader, J. 2014. China's Foreign Relations and the Survival of Autocracies. London, Routledge.
  • Barry, C. M., K. C. Clay, and M. E. Flynn. 2013. Avoiding the Spotlight: Human Rights Shaming and Foreign Direct Investment. International Studies Quarterly 57, 3:532–544.
  • Basedau, M., and J. Lay. 2009. Resource Curse or Rentier Peace? The Ambiguous Effects of Oil Wealth and Oil Dependence on Violent Conflict. Journal of Peace Research 46, 6:757–776.
  • Beblawi, H.. 1990. The Rentier State in the Arab World. In The Arab State, ed. G. Luciani. London, Routledge.
  • Bernhard, M. et al. 2017. Making Embedded Knowledge Transparent: How the V-Dem Dataset Opens New Vistas in Civil Society Research. Perspectives on Politics 15, 2: 342–360.
  • Biglaiser, G., and K. (Lilly) Lu. 2021. The Politics of Chinese and US Foreign Direct Investment in the Developing World. Asian Survey 61, 3: 500–531.
  • Biglaiser, G., and L. K. Lu. 2022. Political Risk and Economic Sectors: Chinese Overseas Public and Private Investment in the Developing World. Foreign Policy Analysis 18, 3, orac013.
  • Biglaiser, G., K. (Lilly) Lu, and H. Lee. 2024. Domestic Political Unrest and Chinese Overseas Foreign Direct Investment. Studies in Comparative International Development 59: 582–609.
  • Biglaiser, G., L. Y. Hunter, and K. (Lilly) Lu. 2024a. Chinese and US Overseas Foreign Direct Investment and Democracy in the Developing World. Journal of Asian and African Studies: 1-18.
  • BKPM. 2024. Realisasi investasi. Investment Coordination Board. https://www.bkpm.go.id/id/info/realisasi-investasi/2024.
  • Blanton, R. G., and C. Apodaca. 2007. Economic Globalization and Violent Civil Conflict: Is Openness a Pathway to Peace? The Social Science Journal 44, 4: 599–619.
  • Blanton, R. G., and S. L. Blanton. 2007. Human Rights and Trade: Beyond the “Spotlight”. International Interactions 33, 2: 97–117.
  • Blanton, R. G., and S. L. Blanton. 2012. Labor Rights and Foreign Direct Investment: Is There a Race to the Bottom? International Interactions 38, 3: 267–294.
  • Blanton, S. L., and R. G. Blanton. 2006. Human Rights and Foreign Direct Investment: A Two-stage Analysis Business & Society 45, 4: 464–485.
  • Blanton, S. L., and R. G. Blanton. 2007a. What Attracts Foreign Investors? An Examination of Human Rights and Foreign Direct Investment. The Journal of Politics 69, 1: 143–155.
  • Blanton, S. L., and R. G. Blanton. 2009. A Sectoral Analysis of Human Rights and FDI: Does Industry Type Matter? International Studies Quarterly 53, 2: 469–493.
  • Bohara, A. K. et al. 2008. Human Rights Violations, Corruption, and the Policy of Repression. Policy Studies Journal 36, 1:1–18.
  • Buckley, P. J. et al. 2018. A Retrospective and Agenda for Future Research on Chinese Outward Foreign Direct Investment. Journal of International Business Studies 49: 4–23.
  • Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. 2023. 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Cambodia. U.S. Department of State. https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-country-reports- on-human-rights-practices/cambodia/.
  • Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs. 2024. 2024 Investment Climate Statements: Cambodia. U.S. Department of State. https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-investment-climate- statements/cambodia/.
  • Chen, W., D. Dollar, and H. Tang. 2018. Why Is China Investing in Africa? Evidence from the Firm Level. The World Bank Economic Review 32, 3: 610–632.
  • Christina, B., and A. Teresia. 2023. Indonesia Deploys Security Forces after Nickel Smelter Protest Turns Deadly.” Reuters January 16. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/violence-indonesia- nickel-smelter-protest-kills-2-dozens-detained-2023-01-16/.
  • Coppedge, M. et al. 2024. V-Dem Methodology v14. V-Dem Methodology v14 (March 7, 2024). V-Dem Dataset. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4782726.
  • Dean, A. 2022. Arresting the Opposition: Labor Repression and Trade Liberalization in Developing Countries. International Studies Quarterly 66, 3: 184–208.
  • Dodlova, M., and V. Lucas. 2021. Regime Security and Taxation in Autocracies: Who is Taxed and How? European Journal of Political Economy 67: 1–15.
  • Filippaios, F. et al. 2019. Political Governance, Civil Liberties, and Human Capital: Evaluating Their Effect on Foreign Direct Investment in Emerging and Developing Economies. Journal of International Business Studies 50: 1103–1129.
  • Garriga, A. C.. 2016. Human Rights Regimes, Reputation, and Foreign Direct Investment. International Studies Quarterly 60, 1: 160–172.
  • Gellert, P. K. 2010. Extractive Regimes: Toward a Better Understanding of Indonesian Development. Rural Sociology 75, 1: 28–57.
  • Genschel, P., H. Lierse, and L. Seelkopf. 2016. Dictators don't Compete: Autocracy, Democracy, and Tax Competition. Review of International Political Economy 23, 2: 290–315.
  • Globerman, S., and D. Shapiro. 2003. Governance Infrastructure and US Foreign Direct Investment. Journal of International Business Studies 34: 19–39.
  • Goh, E., and L. Nan. 2023. Chinese Investments in Southeast Asia: Patterns and Significance. Singapore, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.
  • Gonzalez-Vicente, R. 2011. China's Engagement in South America and Africa's Extractive Sectors: New Perspectives for Resource Curse Theories. The Pacific Review 24, 1:65–87.
  • Haftel, Y. Z. 2010. Ratification Counts: US Investment Treaties and FDI Flows into Developing Countries. Review of International Political Economy 17, 2: 348–377.
  • Habib, M., and L. Zurawicki. 2002. Corruption and Foreign Direct Investment. Journal of International Business Studies 33, 2: 291–307.
  • Human Rights Watch. 2023. Cambodia: Labor Leader, Activists Face Baseless Charges. March 14. https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/03/14/cambodia-labor-leader-activists-face-baseless-charges.
  • IEA. 2024. Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2024. International Energy Agency. https://www.iea.org/reports/global-critical-minerals-outlook-2024.
  • Iammarino, S., M. Sumontheany, and N. Kosal. 2024. 20 Years of FDI in Cambodia: Towards Upper Middle-Income Status and Beyond. Cambodia Development Resource Institute.
  • Jin, C. 2025. Debating National Identity Through the China Model: An Ideological Spectrum Analysis. Uluslararası İlişkiler Advanced Online Publication: 1–18.
  • Jong, H. N. 2024. Indonesian Nickel Project Harms Environment and Human Rights, Report Says. Mongabay, February 26. https://news.mongabay.com/2024/02/indonesian-nickel-project-harms- environment-and-human-rights-report-says/.
  • Kaufmann, D., and A. C. Kraay. The Worldwide Governance Indicators: Methodology and 2024 Update (English). Washington, World Bank Group.
  • Kolstad, I., and A. Wiig. 2012. What Determines Chinese Outward FDI? Journal of World Business 47, 1: 26–34.
  • Li, Q., and A. Resnick. 2003. Reversal of Fortunes: Democratic Institutions and Foreign Direct Investment Inflows to Developing Countries. International Organization 57, 1: 175–211.
  • Liberati, P. 2007. Trade Openness, Capital Openness and Government Size. Journal of Public Policy 27, 2: 215–247.
  • London, B., and R. J. S. Ross. 1995. The Political Sociology of Foreign Direct Investment: Global Capitalism and Capital Mobility, 1965-1980. International Journal of Comparative Sociology 36, 3: 198-218.
  • Lu, K., and R. G. Blanton. 2024. Rights, Institutions, and Chinese Investment Abroad. The Social Science Journal: 1–19.
  • Mayer, M., and X. Zhang. 2021. Theorizing China-world Integration: Sociospatial Reconfigurations and the Modern Silk Roads. Review of International Political Economy 28, 4: 974–1003.
  • MOFCOM, NBS and SAFE. 2024. Statistical Bulletin of China's Outward Foreign Direct Investment 2023. Beijing, China Financial and Economic Publishing House.
  • Moon, C. 2019. Political Institutions and FDI Inflows in Autocratic Countries. Democratization 26, 7: 1256–1277.
  • Mosley, L., and S. Uno. 2007. Racing to the Bottom or Climbing to the Top? Economic Globalization and Collective Labor Rights. Comparative Political Studies 40, 8: 923–948.
  • Mourao, P. R. 2018. What is China Seeking from Africa? An Analysis of the Economic and Political Determinants of Chinese Outward Foreign Direct Investment Based on Stochastic Frontier Models. China Economic Review 48: 258–268.
  • Oatley, T. 2021. Regaining Relevance: IPE and a Changing Global Political Economy. Cambridge Review of International Affairs 34, 2: 318–327.
  • Örsün, Ö. F. 2020. Dimensions of Democracy and Military Expenditure. Uluslararası İlişkiler 17, 67: 61–80.
  • Ramasamy, B., M. Yeung, and S. Laforet. 2012. China's Outward Foreign Direct Investment: Location Choice and Firm Ownership. Journal of World Business 47, 1: 17–25.
  • Rios-Morales, R., L. Brennan, and M. Schweizer. 2016. An Assessment of Chinese Foreign Direct Investment in Switzerland. Uluslararası İlişkiler 13, 49: 85–105.
  • Ross, M. L. 2001. Does Oil Hinder Democracy? World Politics 53, 3: 325–361.
  • Smith, B. 2004. Oil Wealth and Regime Survival in the Developing World, 1960-1999. American Journal of Political Science 48, 2: 232–46.
  • Spar, D. L. 1998. The Spotlight and the Bottom Line: How Multinationals Export Human Rights. Foreign Affairs: 7–12.
  • Spar, D. 1999. Foreign Investment and Human Rights. Challenge 42, 1: 55–80.
  • Sum, M. 2024. FDI Inflows Hit $8.1B in One Year. Khmer Times, December 4. https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501602507/fdi-inflows-hit-8-1b-in-one-year/.
  • Tritto, A. 2023. How Indonesia Used Chinese Industrial Investments to Turn Nickel into the New Gold. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
  • Tuman, J. P., and M. Shirali. 2015. The Political Economy of Chinese Foreign Direct Investment in Developing Areas. Foreign Policy Analysis 0: 1–14.
  • Vadlamannati, K. C. 2012. Impact of Political Risk on FDI Revisited—An Aggregate Firm-Level Analysis. International Interactions 38, 1: 111–139.
  • Vadlamannati, K. C., N. Janz, and Ø. I. Berntsen. 2018. Human Rights Shaming and FDI: Effects of the UN Human Rights Commission and Council. World Development 104: 222–237.
  • Vong, M. 2024. The Dynamics of Pro-Government Labour Mobilisation in Cambodia. Journal of Contemporary Asia. https://doi.org/10.1080/00472336.2024.2383476.
  • Walker, S. 2023. Rentier State Theory 50 Years on: New Developments. Frontiers in Political Science 5, DOI: 10.3389/fpos.2023.1120439.
  • Wischermann, J., T. V. P. Dang, and G. M. Sirait. 2023. The State in a Capitalist Society: Protests and State Reactions in Vietnam and Indonesia. Journal of Contemporary Asia 53, 2: 185–206.
  • Yao, S. et al. 2017. Location Determinants of China's Outward Foreign Direct Investment. China & World Economy 25, 6: 1–27.
  • Yıldız, A. 2023. The Rise of China and its Interplay with the Russian and Turkish Regimes. Uluslararası İlişkiler 20, 79: 51-66.
  • Zhang, X., and K. Daly. 2011. The Determinants of China's Outward Foreign Direct Investment. Emerging Markets Review 12, 4: 389–398.
There are 74 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Regional Studies
Journal Section Research Article
Authors

Lin Sae-phoo This is me 0009-0008-6333-2367

Shaka Y.j. Li This is me 0000-0001-8828-1254

Raras Cahyafitri This is me 0000-0003-1478-8516

Early Pub Date August 22, 2025
Publication Date October 3, 2025
Submission Date January 24, 2025
Acceptance Date August 7, 2025
Published in Issue Year 2025

Cite

APA Sae-phoo, L., Li, S. Y., & Cahyafitri, R. (2025). When Repressed Civil Society Attracts Foreign Investors: The Dual Dimensions of Chinese Foreign Direct Investment in Southeast Asia. Uluslararası İlişkiler Dergisi1-25. https://doi.org/10.33458/uidergisi.1760185
AMA Sae-phoo L, Li SY, Cahyafitri R. When Repressed Civil Society Attracts Foreign Investors: The Dual Dimensions of Chinese Foreign Direct Investment in Southeast Asia. Uluslararası İlişkiler Dergisi. Published online August 1, 2025:1-25. doi:10.33458/uidergisi.1760185
Chicago Sae-phoo, Lin, Shaka Y.j. Li, and Raras Cahyafitri. “When Repressed Civil Society Attracts Foreign Investors: The Dual Dimensions of Chinese Foreign Direct Investment in Southeast Asia”. Uluslararası İlişkiler Dergisi, August (August 2025), 1-25. https://doi.org/10.33458/uidergisi.1760185.
EndNote Sae-phoo L, Li SY, Cahyafitri R (August 1, 2025) When Repressed Civil Society Attracts Foreign Investors: The Dual Dimensions of Chinese Foreign Direct Investment in Southeast Asia. Uluslararası İlişkiler Dergisi 1–25.
IEEE L. Sae-phoo, S. Y. Li, and R. Cahyafitri, “When Repressed Civil Society Attracts Foreign Investors: The Dual Dimensions of Chinese Foreign Direct Investment in Southeast Asia”, Uluslararası İlişkiler Dergisi, pp. 1–25, August2025, doi: 10.33458/uidergisi.1760185.
ISNAD Sae-phoo, Lin et al. “When Repressed Civil Society Attracts Foreign Investors: The Dual Dimensions of Chinese Foreign Direct Investment in Southeast Asia”. Uluslararası İlişkiler Dergisi. August2025. 1-25. https://doi.org/10.33458/uidergisi.1760185.
JAMA Sae-phoo L, Li SY, Cahyafitri R. When Repressed Civil Society Attracts Foreign Investors: The Dual Dimensions of Chinese Foreign Direct Investment in Southeast Asia. Uluslararası İlişkiler Dergisi. 2025;:1–25.
MLA Sae-phoo, Lin et al. “When Repressed Civil Society Attracts Foreign Investors: The Dual Dimensions of Chinese Foreign Direct Investment in Southeast Asia”. Uluslararası İlişkiler Dergisi, 2025, pp. 1-25, doi:10.33458/uidergisi.1760185.
Vancouver Sae-phoo L, Li SY, Cahyafitri R. When Repressed Civil Society Attracts Foreign Investors: The Dual Dimensions of Chinese Foreign Direct Investment in Southeast Asia. Uluslararası İlişkiler Dergisi. 2025:1-25.