Introduction

The IRN ASEAN-China-Norms China’s Rise and the New Social Norms in Southeast Asia is developed in collaboration with 11 research labs from 7 countries and will be effective between 2019 and 2023. It was created by the Centre for Southeast Asia (CASE) in partnership with the French Institute of Research on East Asia (IFRAE) and the French Centre on Contemporary China (CEFC), which are part of the “GIS Asie”, the French Network for Asian studies. The IRN involves 40 Junior and Senior Researchers.

Missions and research themes

The IRN ASEA-China-Norms aims at exploring normative transformations taking place in South-East Asia in the context of growing regional influence of China. It addresses theoretical questions, including norms, political power, economic development (mainly through investments and aid) from one hand, and the short-term challenges of the growing Chinese influence.

The network addresses social norms and more precisely social rights of workers, wages and working conditions considering the different categories of workers (women, rural workers, migrant workers, young people) in the context of economic development and diversity of Southeast Asian capitalism.

NETWORK ACTIVITIES AND EXPECTED RESULTS

Several research questions are explored in order to assess collectively to what extend the economic transformation in Southeast Asia in the context of the growing Chinese influence might contribute to transform ASEAN social and political norms

• The Dynamics of Legal norms and normative regimes in the field of social and human rights in SE Asia and in China
• Normative circulation through the respective economic, politic and strategic bonding ASEAN and China.
• The regional integration of ASEAN in terms of social norms
• The impact of Chinese aid, infrastructure projects and industrial investments on working norms in SE Asia
• Resistance, conflicts and compromises generated by the normative influence

institutions and laboratories involved

Scientific pilot: Elsa Lafaye de Micheaux, CASE, Paris.
France

UMR CASE (UMR 8170 CNRS-EHESS-INALCO)
Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS)
Institut National des Langues et des Civilisations Orientales (INALCO)
Université de Rennes II.

Australia

Australia National University

United Kingdom

University of London

Canada

University of Ottawa

Hong-Kong

Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Singapore

National University of Singapore

Malaysia

University of Malaya ( KHOO Ying Hooi)
Institut Pondok Perancis

Myanmar

Urbanize, Yangon