ABSTRACT
By connecting regions, Chinese investment projects overseas have made it easier for transnational Chinese criminal syndicates to carry out illicit activities abroad. These syndicates either associate themselves with Chinese state-backed special economic zones (SEZs) or fabricate SEZs themselves. China’s response to the damage to its interests, specifically the security of its borders and citizens and its international reputation, has varied. It has intervened in some instances but not others. The types of intervention it has undertaken also vary. Under what conditions will Beijing intervene and what explains the variation? Focusing on four case studies in Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos, we demonstrate that Beijing intervenes when its interests are significantly impacted, but the way it intervenes depends on the cooperation of actors, both state and non-state, within host countries. Our study contributes to the understanding of Chinese security interventions and influence abroad, and the conditions that modify its interventions.
