This thesis investigates the following research question: ''How has the development of the economic interdependence between China and Indonesia affected their behavior in the Natuna territorial...Show moreThis thesis investigates the following research question: ''How has the development of the economic interdependence between China and Indonesia affected their behavior in the Natuna territorial dispute.'' The conclusion is that in the last twenty years Indonesia has developed an economic dependence on China. As a result, China has increasingly used bluffing in the Natuna dispute. As a response, Indonesia has been caught in a balancing act between the economic interests of the Natuna territory and its relationship with China. On the one hand, Indonesia has been constrained by China’s behavior. On het other hand, Indonesia has also been more determined to resist China’s bluffing. This has led to more incidents and incidents with a higher level of hostility over time.Show less
This thesis examines the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on working conditions in Thailand and Vietnam. I hypothesise that FDI has a positive effect on working conditions, and that the...Show moreThis thesis examines the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on working conditions in Thailand and Vietnam. I hypothesise that FDI has a positive effect on working conditions, and that the effect is more pronounced in Vietnam where institutions appear to be stronger and the labour force is entitled to more rights, including the rights to organise and collective bargaining. As previous research has shown, contrary to the common notion of ‘race to the bottom’, FDI is attracted to countries with adequate labour policies. Further, governments play an important role in creating positive spill overs of FDI through the establishment of labour institutions, unions, and wage policies. The analysis has shown that the Thai government’s policies, despite some amendments to its legal framework, are less labour- friendly than Vietnam’s. In Vietnam, however, labour institutions and unions’ top members still lack neutrality and legislation doesn’t promote active employee participation. To conclude, the impact of FDI on labour conditions appears to be stronger in Vietnam, thanks to more labour-oriented policies and institutions.Show less
As part of China’s quest of regaining its superpower status in world politics, the country has launched a comprehensive transportation system called the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This BRI is...Show moreAs part of China’s quest of regaining its superpower status in world politics, the country has launched a comprehensive transportation system called the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This BRI is accompanied with large-scale investment programmes in primarily the infrastructural and energy sector. One of the destinations of these investments, called FDI, is the Western Balkan region. This region consists of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. These countries are at different stages of their accession process to the European Union (EU). Unclarity exists amongst scholars whether the Chinese FDI that these countries receive obstruct their accession process towards the EU, i.e. their Europeanization process. By means of a longitudinal small-N MSSD-I research, it is investigated whether Chinese FDI negatively affects the Europeanization in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Serbia. This research concludes that the Europeanization in the Western Balkans is indeed negatively affected by Chinese FDI, although this effect is of a less than proportional nature. This research also indicates which specific chapters of the acquis communautaire and which Copenhagen criteria of the Europeanization are negatively impacted, and whether this effect is limited or strong. Furthermore, it inquires how the Europeanization in the Western Balkans can be explained: is the logic of appropriateness or the logic of consequentiality better suited for clarifying this process? In other words, do the Western Balkan states feel an intrinsic connection to the European identity, or do they want to become EU member states because of the material benefits accompanied with accession? This research finds that the logic of consequentiality prevails over the logic of appropriateness in explaining the Europeanization in the Western Balkans. Nevertheless, both logics of action are still relevant for acquiring a full understanding of the acquis adoption in candidate member states.Show less
In recent years, the expanding role of Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) under the realm of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has drawn worldwide attention and has sparked academic and...Show moreIn recent years, the expanding role of Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) under the realm of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has drawn worldwide attention and has sparked academic and policy debates about the attendant risks and benefits of Chinese FDI for recipient countries such as Serbia. The Serbian tradition of non-alignment in foreign affairs, its progress towards EU accession and warm relations with Russia make the country a very significant geopolitical intersection. For these reasons, the case of Chinese FDI in Serbia and its role in EU-Serbian accession negotiations is the central issue in this research. This thesis considers two central theoretical aspects: it considers whether and to what extent Chinese FDI in EU candidate countries is driven primarily by efforts to circumvent EU regulations and it considers arguments for Chinese FDI as an instigator for economic development and growth in Serbia. It employs a case study design that draws on directed content analysis, construing EU-Serbian relations as a particular case or instance of EU relations with EU candidate countries receiving FDI from China. The main finding of this research is that the role of Chinese FDI is dominated by several other issues that receive greater priority in EU-Serbian negotiations.Show less
This research provides a comparison and analysis of the economic growth in China and Vietnam with a focus on the environmental aspect so that Vietnam can learn from China's experiences. The...Show moreThis research provides a comparison and analysis of the economic growth in China and Vietnam with a focus on the environmental aspect so that Vietnam can learn from China's experiences. The research found four key aspects important for environmental-friendly economic growth. The first aspect is environmental policies, which need the right implementation and enforcement to work properly. The second aspect is the energy mix, that needs to be diverse with enough forms of renewable energy. With the share of renewable energy growing in the mix, both the energy demand and the environment will benefit. The third aspect FDI raises the human capital level, which has a positive effect on innovation of production processes and a sustainable economy. Lastly, there is ASEAN which promotes regional cooperation in the field of environmental sustainability, to tackle regional cross-border problems. The right implementation of these four aspects is the key to environmentally friendly growth in Vietnam.Show less
A research on how the Chinese economic influence in Suriname in the period 2000-2019 compares with China’s international economic strategy elsewhere in the developing world; Chinese economic...Show moreA research on how the Chinese economic influence in Suriname in the period 2000-2019 compares with China’s international economic strategy elsewhere in the developing world; Chinese economic activities in Suriname has been rising tremendously over the recent decades, but does this mean that Suriname also runs the risk of getting caught in a debt trap, as feared for many other third world countries, or is Suriname a different case? And what role does the Chinese ethnic population of Suriname play in the increasing Chinese economic dominance in Suriname? A wide set of sources, both static and empirical, have been studied to form an answer to these questions.Show less
The exponential increase in Chinese investments abroad since the 2008 financial crisis, along with the idiosyncratic characteristics associated with Chinese investment, has led to policy debates in...Show moreThe exponential increase in Chinese investments abroad since the 2008 financial crisis, along with the idiosyncratic characteristics associated with Chinese investment, has led to policy debates in many developed economies around the world. This thesis conducts a discourse analysis of the policy debate on Chinese investments in key technologies in the European Union that started around 2016, led by the normative research question “Should the EU protect European key technologies from being acquired by Chinese entities through Foreign Direct Investment?". It analyses respectively the purpose of the actors involved (China and the EU); the (perceived) necessity of EU protection of key technologies from Chinese FDI; and the risks related to the protection of key technologies in the EU. In doing so, it provides an overview of the different discourses, building on theoretical insights from a wide range of literature: including on strategic thinking in the EU, and the drivers behind Chinese FDI for both firms and polities.Show less
In recent years, China’s rise has had profound effects on a global scale as well as on individual states. There is an academic debate whether this rise is peaceful and possibly mutual beneficial or...Show moreIn recent years, China’s rise has had profound effects on a global scale as well as on individual states. There is an academic debate whether this rise is peaceful and possibly mutual beneficial or that it is a threat, economically speaking as well as political. This thesis aims to determine to what extent Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) affects the economic sovereignty of Laos. In this context, economic sovereignty is defined as the power and capability of a national government to decisions make independent of the interests of other governments. Using quantitative and qualitative research and various case studies, research has been conducted to examine the effects of Chinese FDI on the economic sovereignty of Laos in the last five years including current times. The results indicate a strong correlation between Chinese economic activity in Laos and the deepening of economic dependency on China as well as a decay of economic sovereignty for Laos due to significant debt accumulation.Show less
This thesis looks at two scholarly works researching the debt traps in Nigeria and Sri Lanka. From these two scholarly works factors are derived and evaluated that, according to the scholarly works...Show moreThis thesis looks at two scholarly works researching the debt traps in Nigeria and Sri Lanka. From these two scholarly works factors are derived and evaluated that, according to the scholarly works, helped cause Nigeria and Sri Lanka's debt trap. These factors are then used to evaluate the case of Ethiopia and see to what extend this country runs the same risks. This thesis shows that based on the factors derived from the two scholarly sources, data on Ethiopia shows the presence of these factors, which indicate a risk for a possible future debt trap.Show less
This thesis will challenge the traditional “Stylist Model” of FDI, which asserts that political risk does not impact the movement of FDI. In the following chapters, it will be demonstrated that...Show moreThis thesis will challenge the traditional “Stylist Model” of FDI, which asserts that political risk does not impact the movement of FDI. In the following chapters, it will be demonstrated that political risk is a common deterrent of FDI, as it prevents capital from transferring from developed economies to developing economies (Méon, Khalid 2012, 2194). FDI inflows react to “transaction cost of investments”, meaning that investors will only move their capital overseas if they can receive a positive return on investment (OECD 2001; Mengistu et al., 2011). This highlights the importance of low political risk when attempting to attract foreign investment, as elements of political risk such as corruption and rule of law can raise transaction costs, lowering return on investment. In order for Southeast Asian nations to create stable investment environments for foreign capital, a deeper understanding on the relationship between FDI and political risk is required. The World Bank developed six indicators to measure political risk: (1) Voice and accountability, (2) Political stability and absence of violence, (3) Government effectiveness, (4) Regulatory quality, (5) Rule of law, and (6) Control of corruption. In order to successfully direct economic policy in Southeast Asia, the specific effect each indicator has on FDI must be realised. This allows for the research question: How does political risk impact FDI flows into Southeast Asia?Show less
Bachelor thesis about the effects of Chinese FDI on Brazil´s economic development with representative case studies from Brazil´s petrochemical, - electric power transmission,- and telecommunication...Show moreBachelor thesis about the effects of Chinese FDI on Brazil´s economic development with representative case studies from Brazil´s petrochemical, - electric power transmission,- and telecommunication industry. Based on a multidisciplinary approach grounded in business, economics, public policy and political economy the hypothesis that Chinese FDI leads to deindustrialization in Brazil via (1) facilitating commodity exports through infrastructure provision and (2) incentivizing the import of manufactured Chinese goods by creating technological dependencies. Key findings include that even though Chinese investment is mostly resource-seeking and conducted by Chinese SOEs in the Brazilian energy sector, the presence of national Champions such as Eletrobras and Petrobras with high innovative capacities might still lead to technological spillovers. So, do complementary technological expertise and Brazilian capital needs. However, a conservative industrial policy paired with an expansionary fiscal policy enabled rent-seeking behavior and culminated in the Lava Jato scandal, which substantially hampered Brazilian absorptive capacities. Especially in the telecommunication sector a clear link between Chinese FDI and Brazilian deindustrialization was evident, as investment incentivized technology imports from China. Nonetheless, the outlook is mixed as academics predict a shift from resource-seeking to efficiency-, and asset-seeking investment, which has yet to materialize but might yield more positive externalities in the future.Show less
An explorative thesis that seeks to understand the extent to which foreign investment leads to economic development in Kenya. Using the Dutch floricultural sector present in Kenya as a case study,...Show moreAn explorative thesis that seeks to understand the extent to which foreign investment leads to economic development in Kenya. Using the Dutch floricultural sector present in Kenya as a case study, its effects on the Kenyan economy in terms of employment, wages, technology transfer and tax revenues are analyzed. While the sector contributes significantly in terms of employment and would arguably not exist without foreign investment, it has thus far failed to significantly improve the lives of its' employees, lead to technology transfers or raise additional tax revenues.Show less
