The (Illicit) New Chinese Mobilities and Authoritarianism in Contemporary Asia

Abstract

The new Chinese mobilities (NCMs) encompass the entire spectrum, from long-term immigrants to short-term tourists in the 21st century. Not only are their scales unprecedented (over 100 million per annum after 2014), but they also have new characteristics, such as being neoliberal and nationalistic. From the case studies of Hong Kong SAR, Cambodia, and Myanmar, this dissertation contends that the NCMs, especially the illicit NCMs, could strengthen, fragmentize, or militarize the authoritarian regimes of the hosting states independently from the Chinese state. Contingent on the hosting states' political institutions and the interactions between the NCMs and the local population and elites, three mechanisms, namely, "nativist contention and authoritarian domination/centralization," "illicit mobility rentier states and authoritarian fragmentation," and "illicit mobility rentier sub-states and authoritarian militarization," could take place. In Hong Kong SAR, which has a high state capacity to regulate immigration but low state autonomy from China to make and adjust its mobility policies, the large inflows of NCMs, especially the parallel traders, birth tourists, and elite immigrants, triggered a decade of localist identity politics and populist political mobilization. They culminated in a dramatic outbreak of contentious politics in 2019-2020, which, like the May 13 Racial Riots of Malaysia, paved the way for a dominant and centralized authoritarian regime. In Cambodia, various local power elites colluded with the illicit NCMs to operate dozens of criminal online scamming and human trafficking compounds with impunity. Like in oil-rich rentier states, the external rents from the illicit NCMs could enable the CPP regime to become more resourceful and repressive while evading democratic accountabilities to its citizens. However, pervasive corruption and elite rent-seeking could further fragmentize its regime. Myanmar has the lowest state capacity as a failed state hijacked by its military junta, and it is economically and politically dependent on China. In northern Myanmar, the illicit NCMs colluded with a wide range of sub-state elites, including the Tatmadaw, pro-regime militias, and anti-regime rebels. The illicit NCMs and their capital added to the web of illicit external rent that has enriched these sub-state elites and funded their war efforts. By contributing to the “war system,” the illicit NCMs incidentally perpetuate the militarization of Myanmar's authoritarian regime. This dissertation contributes to the literature on comparative immigration politics and illicit international political economy with several case studies from the Global South. It demonstrates that migration/mobility and authoritarian political regimes are co-produced, while illicit mobilities could act as external rent in similar ways as natural resources for the hosting states.

Date of Award	30 Aug 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	City University of Hong Kong
Supervisor	Federico FERRARA (Supervisor)