Shino Watanabe

Cambodia has been portrayed as the most pro-China country in Southeast Asia. We argue that such views oversimplify and overgeneralize Cambodia’s agency and its perception of China. Acknowledging the multifaceted nature of Cambodians’ perceptions of China, we examined these perceptions using data from our extensive survey in the capital city and 11 provinces. We identify several key factors influencing these perceptions, which vary significantly across regions and groups. The data indicate a multifaceted and evolving relationship between Cambodia and China. While Cambodia’s economic growth and Chinese investments have strengthened ties between the two nations, it is crucial to recognize the diversity of perceptions among Cambodians. Policymakers and stakeholders in both Cambodia and China should consider these nuances to foster mutually beneficial partnerships.

China's attitude toward the international order has received growing attention. In the field of foreign aid, the international development assistance regime is organized so that members of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), international organizations such as the United Nations, and international financial institutions such as the World Bank share norms and rules of foreign aid. In general, donors are expected to follow these rules when they provide foreign assistance. This paper focuses on the interaction between China and the aid regime and examines the influence of the interaction on each other.<br>As a non-DAC member, China offers foreign aid without being constrained by the aid regime. Since it began in 1950, China's foreign aid has possessed distinctive characteristics and unique practices. Advocating the principle of non-intervention in domestic affairs, China has assisted authoritarian states or countries under sanctions. China opposes any conditionality but the "One China Policy" to recipient countries. Such an attitude has undermined international efforts to promote necessary reforms and enhance good governance in developing countries. In addition, China's emphasis on pursuing mutual benefits through foreign aid has caused self-interested behavior and has invited severe criticism from the aid regime as well as from recipient countries.<br>Despite concerns from international society, China's foreign aid is an integral part of today's aid landscape. As China's aid presence expands, the aid regime cannot help but engage with China. China's foreign aid and the aid regime are no longer discrete; they communicate bilaterally and multilaterally. The process of interaction has influenced the aid regime significantly. For instance, the World Bank's aid policy toward Africa has incorporated major causes of China's successful development over the last three decades such as infrastructure building and agricultural support. Moreover, China's presence and other emerging donors have led DAC donors to question the validity of official development assistance (ODA) as the mainstream foreign aid. This poses a major challenge to the aid regime.<br>Meanwhile, China has acknowledged growing international concerns over its foreign aid and has started to take concrete measures to circumvent criticism. China has also strengthened its control over Chinese firms engaging aid activities overseas and published the first white paper on foreign aid in April 2011. Despite such efforts, however, there is no full-fledged transformation of China's foreign aid. Instead, China is likely to maintain its foreign aid program without any significant reform in the foreseeable future.