「疫帶疫路」在東南亞？再探新冠肺炎期間中國對東南亞的防疫外交

When China’s Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) Meets the Covid-19 Pandemic in Southeast Asia? Revisiting China’s Pandemic Prevention Diplomacy towards Southeast Asia

本研究主要探索新冠疫情對中國一帶一路的影響，並進一步分析中國對東南亞國家的防疫外交。本文分為四個部分，第一部份是為前言，說明研究旨趣與架構，並就與本研究旨趣相關之文獻進行回顧；第二部分聚焦於疫情爆發之後，論及疫情衝擊一帶一路的國際輿論與觀點。再者，本文於第三部分延續檢視疫情期間中國對鄰近區域（東南亞國家）的防疫外交工作是否符合中國整體外交政策方針並分析其如何運作，以呈現箇中變數與挑戰。最後一個部分是為結語，進一步說明中國與東南亞關係在疫後復甦時期的轉進與展望。具體而言，對於中國與東南亞國家在防疫外交的互動與合作的分析方面，本研究的主要論點是，中國藉由新冠疫情所推進的防疫外交與援助各國的作為，主要回應了中國外交政策的重要方針，其一為延續以周邊為首要的外交政策路線，其二則再次落實所謂「親疏遠近」的合作實踐。然而，這兩個特徵放在與東協國家具體互動中確實也出現若干問題；本研究除了進一步探索之，並試圖提供解釋，且於結語處提出六項研究發現。

This study mainly explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on China’s Belt and Road Initiative （BRI）, and further analyzes China’s pandemic prevention diplomacy （PPD） towards Southeast Asian countries. This study is divided into four parts. The first part serves as an introduction, explaining the purpose, interests and structure of this article. The second part first examines the international discourses and perspectives regarding the impact of the Covid-19 on China’s BRI after the sudden outbreak in 2020. Furthermore, the third part continues to discuss whether China’s PPD towards neighboring regions （Southeast Asian countries） during the pandemic is consistent with China’s structured foreign policy guidelines and analyzes how it operates. It then analyzes the key features, variables and challenges involved. The last part presents the conclusion by wrapping up the discussion while pinpointing the transformation and prospects of China-Southeast Asian relations in the post-pandemic recovery process. In particular, with regard to the interaction and cooperation between China and Southeast Asian countries during the pandemic, the main argument of this study addresses that China’s PPD and assistance to its neighboring countries mainly responded to the long-existing strategic priority of China’s foreign policy guidelines, that is, to prioritize the neighbors as the first principle, while the second to implement collaboration in accordance to the differentiated relationships among partner countries. However, implementing these two principles do encounter challenges in China’s PPD engagement with ASEAN countries. Therefore, this study further explores them with plausible explanations. In concluding section, this article wrap ups the study with six key findings.