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Chinese Capital Going Global: Thai-Chinese Industrial Zone and Labor Conditions in Thailand

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The Sociology of Chinese Capitalism in Southeast Asia

Abstract

The One Belt One Road or the Belt and Road Initiative is China’s grand strategy officially launched in early 2010s aiming to connect China with Asia, Africa and Europe and facilitate deeper trade relations, promote overseas investment and boost economic growth. For China to ultimately benefit from the belt and road and its connectivity, a strategic planning, effective measures and implementation as well as assessment need to be in place. This chapter analyses Chinese capital going global using Thailand as case study. Through the investigation of the establishment of Thai-Chinese government supported Overseas Economic and Cooperation Zone establishment in Rayong, Thailand in 2006, it can be argued that this zone is being used as a spearhead and experiment for other Chinese enterprises to go out and invest in Thailand and maximize the benefit of the subsequent Belt and Road related facilities created. This chapter lays out the system of supports provided by the Chinese government for enterprises to go global and the role of the Chinese enterprise leading into the country of going global destination. The chapter assesses some aspects of the impact of the Chinese investment in Thailand using the case study of Zhongce Rubber (Thailand). Col, Ltd., the largest state-owned enterprise invested in the zone.

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Kosaikanont, R. (2019). Chinese Capital Going Global: Thai-Chinese Industrial Zone and Labor Conditions in Thailand. In: Santasombat, Y. (eds) The Sociology of Chinese Capitalism in Southeast Asia. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0065-3_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0065-3_8

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore

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