‘Energy Diplomacy’: China Influences in Southeast Asia for Energy Transitions

China has emerged as a key global leader of the newly industrialized countries in regards to the commitment towards the post-Paris Agreement. Domestically, China has actively promoted the concept of ‘ecological civilization’ as the principle for sustainable development. Renewable energy in China has proved to be a progressive and successful sector for technological and economic development towards climate-resilient and low-emission pathways. Currently, China is the world’s largest producer, exporter and installer of renewable energy. In 2017, the Chinese government proposed the Belt and Road Ecological and Environment Plan, which emphasizes the importance of promoting an eco-friendly ‘Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)’ in order to contribute to sustainable development, and practice the concept of ecological civilization. ‘Green Energy’ is a highlighted sector under the Belt and Road Ecological and Environmental Plan. There are several policies supporting the export of renewable energy technology and investment is in line with commitment to promote ecological civilization in international context. China has been engaging bilaterally and multilaterally with Southeast Asian countries as they are significant for political and economic cooperation under the BRI. China celebrated its 15-year ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership in 2018. In addition, the establishment of the Lancang Mekong Cooperation (LMC) is the latest multilateral mechanism pushed by China to strengthen development cooperation in the Mekong sub-region. This paper aims to raise the question of how energy transition is framed under the Belt and Road Initiative and to what extent it is aligned with the regional, sub-regional, and national policy in Southeast Asia. The study will conduct a qualitative content analysis of policy documents, press releases, and communique of the BRI, ASEAN-China Cooperation, Lanchang Mekong Cooperation and national official statements of selected Southeast Asian countries. The result of the study hopes to provide critical reflections of the policy coordination under the context of the BRI.