Projects
CHINA | KAZAKHSTAN | CAMBODIA | MYANMAR
China is where the Digital Silk Road (DSR) originated, as part of the BRI, but while the DSR is a recent phenomenon, Chinese tech enterprises have been expanding in foreign markets since the early 2000s, and have become key players in multiple fields, from infrastructure to hardware, to e-commerce, social media, gaming, etc. Fieldwork in China will focus on the “supply side” of the DSR, to understand policies, attitudes, strategies, and devices at the macro-level, and the consequences they have in the other three countries at the micro-level. We employ an ethnographic approach to understand origins and antecedents of the DSR, and Chinese tech companies and entrepreneurs' strategies to "glocalize" their products and companies.
Kazakhstan is one of China’s key partners in its pursuit of the BRI, first announced by President Xi during his visit to Nazarbayev University in Nur-Sultan (former Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan) in September 2013. Since then, China has invested heavily in a variety of infrastructural projects, as well as in digital infrastructure, e-commerce, data centers, smart city programs, fintech, digitization of traditional industries, etc. Our work in Kazakhstan focuses on the top-down state digitization programs undertaken by the Kazakh government in collaboration with Chinese partners, and on the bottom-up localization strategies of Chinese firms and their relations with local digital entrepreneurs.
Cambodia
Cambodia has been an enthusiastic partner of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a strong supporter of China’s bid to become a global player, particularly in the context of ASEAN, and a recipient of significant Chinese aid, soft diplomacy and financial investments. The Chinese presence is particularly visible in urban areas such as Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, whose deep-water port is an essential part of the maritime BRI. China has also made important investments in digital infrastructure and e-commerce, and Chinese phones and other digital tech are widespread in both urban and rural areas. Our work in Cambodia focuses on Chinese tech in people's daily lives, and on Chinese tech companies that are investing in the country, from household names such as Huawei and Alibaba, to small Chinese-owned spin-offs and joint ventures.
Myanmar
Myanmar is a “connector-country” of the BRI, that is, a country that links the land and the sea parts of the BRI, and an important part of the DSR. China is investing in digital infrastructures, e-commerce, mobile payments and Chinese social media, mobile gaming, and entertainment apps are increasingly popular among young people. In Myanmar, we carry out an ethnographic exploration of how young people perceive, adopt, adapt or reject Chinese apps and technology, to understand the impact and cultural shaping that Chinese digital platforms have on daily life outside of China.