Reconstructing China–Thailand Relations in the Post-Pandemic Era from a Constructivist Perspective: The Role of the Belt and Road Initiative
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Abstract
In the post-pandemic era, global governance has increasingly shifted toward regional cooperation. Drawing on China–Thailand cooperation between 2020 and 2025, this study focuses on three interrelated questions: the evolution of China–Thailand relations under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Thailand’s role as a regional coordination hub, and the impact of bilateral cooperation on China’s national image construction. Using a constructivist “interaction–meaning–institution” framework, the study finds that China–Thailand relations have evolved from crisis-driven cooperation to institutionalized and norm-oriented partnership.Thailand has gradually transformed from a passive participant into an active coordinating hub, facilitating agenda alignment, institutional linkage, and policy diffusion between bilateral and regional frameworks. Bilateral cooperation has expanded from pandemic-related emergency assistance to long-term collaboration in railway connectivity, the digital economy, green industries, and public health governance.The findings further demonstrate that sustained interaction and institutional embedding have reshaped Thailand’s perception of China, contributing to a shift from instrumental cooperation toward value-based partnership, thereby strengthening China’s national image and promoting regional integration.However, geopolitical competition, intra-ASEAN divergence, and Thailand’s concerns over economic dependency and technological reliance continue to constrain deeper cooperation. The study proposes policy recommendations for consolidating Thailand’s hub role, enhancing institutional coordination, and strengthening people-to-people connectivity. It also provides practical insights for advancing the “Thailand 4.0” strategy and building a China–Thailand community with a shared future.
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