Open lecture with Dr. Sokphea Young, affiliated research associate, SOAS University of London

Have you ever wondered why Chinese investors are more willing to invest in high-risk countries than non-Chinese investors? This talk examines how China has made strides in entering challenging markets like Cambodia, where corruption and economic uncertainty pose major hurdles. It delves into the reasons Chinese companies thrive in these lucrative environments, whereas Western companies often face difficulties. The talk will discuss regulatory enforcement, compliance, relational contracts, legal intermediaries, and the right balance between informality and formality. It also explains how Chinese investors skillfully overcome obstacles to establish and maintain successful investments in Cambodia.

 

Bio 

Sokphea Young earned his PhD in Political Science from the University of Melbourne, Australia, and later became a Research Fellow at University College London (UK). Dr. Young has taught at Birkbeck, Queen Mary, and SOAS, University of London. He researched and published variously on political economy, political regimes and development, civil society, and citizenship in Southeast Asia. He is the author of Strategies of authoritarian survival and dissensus in Southeast Asia: Weak Men versus Strongmen (Palgrave, 2021).

Beyond academia, Dr. Young has advised international development agencies (INGOs, UN bodies), multinational corporations, banks, and global financial institutions on addressing social, environmental, governance (ESG), human rights, and political risks throughout East and Southeast Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

 

This event is part of the Perspective Asia Lecture Series.