Do Chinese Investments Buy Love in ASEAN Countries? A Statistical Analysis on the effect of Chinese investments on ASEAN public opinion towards China

The relationship between Southeast Asia and China is of great importance in the global landscape. This paper aims to examine the effect of Chinese economic influence on public opinions on China in ASEAN countries. The study also analyzes Chinese investment patterns and their impact on different sectors in individual ASEAN countries. Existing literature has discussed various factors influencing public opinions towards China, including historical relations, economic interests, and territorial disputes. However, there is a lack of research directly linking public opinion to Chinese investment patterns in the region. This study fills that gap by conducting an empirical analysis of the relationship between Chinese investments and public opinion survey data. The results suggest that China's investments and construction projects in ASEAN countries have a mixed impact on public opinion towards China. While increasing Chinese investments and projects associate with a higher percent of respondents who welcome China's influence and agree to deepen relations, the percent of respondents who believe China has a good will decrease. The addition of year fixed effects diminishes the effects of China's investments on public opinion.