People's Republic of China's Economic Diplomacy Instruments in Southeast Asia - Chosen Aspects

The paper presents the issue of China's use of economic diplomacy instruments in Southeast Asia. The authors have chosen those they consider to be the most important ones, and their use in Southeast Asian countries has been presented. The goal of the paper is analyzing the role of selected economical instruments used by the China's government in Southeast Asian countries, and answering the following questions: which economical instruments are used by China in the region?; how important is People's Republic of China as a trade partner for SEA states?; what is the role and scale of Chinese direct investment in Southeast Asian countries, including the Belt and Road Initiative?; what are the consequences of China's activities for SEA countries? The methodology of the paper is based on literature review and statistical data analysis. The results show that China has become an important trade partner and a source of FDI for the SEA region, especially for less developed states. Countries such as Cambodia, Lao PDR or Myanmar (which are corrupt and fragile) are areas of PRC economic expansion, which also enhances PRC political influence in the region.