Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Major/Program

International Relations

First Advisor's Name

Jin Zeng

First Advisor's Committee Title

Co-Committee Chair

Second Advisor's Name

Shlomi Dinar

Second Advisor's Committee Title

Co-Committee Chair

Third Advisor's Name

Thomas Breslin

Third Advisor's Committee Title

Committee Member

Fourth Advisor's Name

Benjamin Smith

Fourth Advisor's Committee Title

Committee Member

Keywords

international relations

Date of Defense

3-31-2023

Abstract

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a global infrastructure program launched by China in 2013, has been the subject of controversy. While China views the BRI as a means of promoting economic integration and connectivity, mainstream arguments portray it as a debt-trap and a challenge to the existing global order. This dissertation examines China's efforts to build dams in Southeast Asia and sheds new light on the controversy. Drawing on insights from hydropolitics, Chinese politics, and international relations, this study identifies four major findings. First, China constructed dams in the lower Mekong River basin primarily for economic reasons, including sustaining its economic growth, creating commercial opportunities for its firms and financial institutions, and establishing its border provinces as regional hubs. Second, China's dam development has important geopolitical implications, allowing China to consolidate its role as the regional hydro-hegemon and further integrate itself within the basin. Third, downstream states have reacted differently to China's dam development, depending on their respective economic development goals, environmental concerns, and perceptions of China's rise. Fourth, China's dam-building in the Mekong basin provides a possible blueprint for pursuing similar developments in other transboundary basins. By analyzing China's dam-building, this study offers a nuanced understanding of the BRI beyond traditional analyses of Great Power politics and alters established perceptions of the BRI.

Identifier

FIDC011037

ORCID

0000-0003-0523-4482


Available for download on Sunday, April 20, 2025

Share

COinS
 

Rights Statement

Rights Statement

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).