Georgetown University LogoGeorgetown University Library LogoDigitalGeorgetown Home
    • Login
    View Item 
    •   DigitalGeorgetown Home
    • Georgetown University Institutional Repository
    • Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service
    • Graduate Theses and Dissertations
    • Program of Asian Studies
    • View Item
    •   DigitalGeorgetown Home
    • Georgetown University Institutional Repository
    • Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service
    • Graduate Theses and Dissertations
    • Program of Asian Studies
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Beyond Realism: A Psychological Approach to Understanding Cambodia-China Relations and Its Implications for ASEAN Solidarity

    Cover for Beyond Realism: A Psychological Approach to Understanding Cambodia-China Relations and Its Implications for ASEAN Solidarity
    View/Open
    View/Open: Somsaman_georgetown_0076M_14134.pdf (347kB) Bookview

    Creator
    Somsaman, Aimatcha
    Advisor
    Looney, Kristen
    Abstract
    The rise of China has brought about changes in the balance of power in Southeast Asia, and the realist approach to foreign policy cannot explain why some Southeast Asian countries are balancing the increasing economic and political influence of a rising China and some are not. The Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen called his country “China’s most trustworthy friend”, a sentiment that is apparent in Cambodia’s close economic and political ties to China. This paper aims to go beyond realist considerations and takes political psychology into account when seeking to understand how deeply Cambodia has been drawn into China’s orbit. Despite several benefits Cambodia has acquired from its ASEAN membership such as political and economic stability, legitimacy, and multidimensional cooperation with ASEAN countries and dialogue partners, evidence demonstrates that Cambodia’s loyalty to China trumps its commitment to ASEAN solidarity. This special interstate relationship can be seen in Hun Sen’s propaganda documentary Marching towards National Salvation, and his encouragement of his citizens to read the Cambodian version of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China. By adopting a psychological model, which takes into account trust, emotion, belief, identity, perception and the leadership traits of Hun Sen, and other Cambodian ruling elites, analysts can better understand Cambodia’s behavioral deviation from other ASEAN countries with regards to its relations with China.
    Description
    M.A.
    Permanent Link
    http://hdl.handle.net/10822/1053043
    Date Published
    2019
    Subject
    ASEAN; China-Cambodia relations; Political psychology; International relations; Asia -- Research; Psychology; International relations; Asian studies; Psychology;
    Type
    thesis
    Publisher
    Georgetown University
    Extent
    29 leaves
    Collections
    • Program of Asian Studies
    Metadata
    Show full item record

    Related items

    Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.

    • Cover for Explaining Cambodia’s Foreign Policy: The Importance of Domestic Factors and Sino-Cambodia Relations on ASEAN

      Explaining Cambodia’s Foreign Policy: The Importance of Domestic Factors and Sino-Cambodia Relations on ASEAN 

      Vu, Minh (Georgetown University, 2020)
      This paper studies the Cambodia decision to block the ASEAN Foreign Minister Statement from supporting the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s reward to the Philippines in the Philippines v China 2016 case on their disputed ...
    Related Items in Google Scholar

    Georgetown University Seal
    ©2009 - 2023 Georgetown University Library
    37th & O Streets NW
    Washington DC 20057-1174
    202.687.7385
    digitalscholarship@georgetown.edu
    Accessibility
     

     

    Browse

    All of DigitalGeorgetownCommunities & CollectionsCreatorsTitlesBy Creation DateThis CollectionCreatorsTitlesBy Creation Date

    My Account

    Login

    Statistics

    View Usage Statistics

    Georgetown University Seal
    ©2009 - 2023 Georgetown University Library
    37th & O Streets NW
    Washington DC 20057-1174
    202.687.7385
    digitalscholarship@georgetown.edu
    Accessibility