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2013-05-29 Southeast Asia

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Posted by Pappy 2013-05-29 00:00|| || Front Page|| [3 views ] Top

#1 I'm not expert enough to comment on current events, but I've gotten the impression from elsewhere that China has been dumping a lot of money in the forms of development loans into both Laos and Cambodia over the past couple of years, and as a result they're less satellites of Vietnam and more satellites of China these days.

(I confess to being ignorant about whether or not the term Satellite State is appropriate, or whether or not the term 'tribute kingdom' is more appropriate (and for which, oddly enough, there is no entry in wikipedia).

In addition, there's a term the Cool Kids have apparently been using in reference to SE Asian history called Mandala which looks like it was invented so they could pretend medieval SE Asia wasn't analagous to medieval Europe; they got hung up on the inherent fuzziness of everything, and forgot that hard-and-fast laws regarding feudal relationships in Europe only managed to be ironclad to the extent that someone was willing to go to war to enforce them. For instance, the question about whether the Normans who conquered and ruled England were vassals of the French, whether the Scots were or were not vassals of the English king who himself might be a vassal of the French... or king of France...

To give but two examples, others available upon request. Or just do what I'm doing now, read a history of Venice.

Posted by Thing From Snowy Mountain 2013-05-29 13:12|| 2013-05-29 13:12|| Front Page Top

#2 China has been dumping a lot of money in the forms of development loans into both Laos and Cambodia

And both monetary and military aid to ~~Burma~~ Myanmar. I'm not sure that the term satellite state is appropriate either. Methinks it's more a matter of buying influence to counter India and to a lesser but significant extent, China's Asian-Pacific neighbors.

Posted by Pappy 2013-05-29 15:57|| 2013-05-29 15:57|| Front Page Top

#3 I understood that The Artist Formerly Known as Burma and Myanmar was more of a Chinese Satelite ten years ago than today, what with their (partial) transition to Democracy and massive loans of Thai government money into their government's coffers (that they were supposed to spend on telecommunications and network stuff from companies like those owned by the Shinawatras, for which there was a military coup and all that jazz).

Posted by Thing From Snowy Mountain 2013-05-29 16:55|| 2013-05-29 16:55|| Front Page Top

#4 Perhaps. However, Thailand itself has been purchasing Chinese weapons for the past couple of decades. So it may not really be a question of being a satellite, but more a willing dweller in the Chinese sphere of influence.

Posted by Pappy 2013-05-29 18:25|| 2013-05-29 18:25|| Front Page Top

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