À propos de l’influence normative chinoise en Asie du Sud-Est

China as a norm changer in Southeast Asia? Given the speed of China’s progress in the international scene, the answer is likely to be yes. With the development of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), many Southeast Asian countries are increasingly involved in several China-backed infrastructure development projects. Initiated or decisively supported by China, economic projects in the region are likely to enhance local governments’ legitimacy as well as China’s political influence. This chapter emphasises, among others, the normative role of growing China’s outward foreign direct investment in Southeast Asian countries since the early 2000s, especially developing countries with insignificant outward foreign direct investment like Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia whose reliance on China appears to be significant. More specifically regarding labour norms, given developing countries’ poor social standards and weak rule-based governance, China may easily adjust local labour regulations in favour of Chinese firms. However, it remains to be seen if economic dynamics will in turn reinforce the Chinese government’s control over ASEAN countries’ domestic politics, and erode or sacrifice domestic labour rights.