Implications of Chinese overseas mining operations for community-level social conflicts

Cao, Yu (2023) Implications of Chinese overseas mining operations for community-level social conflicts. Doctoral thesis, Northern Arizona University.

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Abstract

In the context of increasing foreign mining activities and their impacts, and the growing number of social conflicts resulting from mining operations, this dissertation investigates whether Chinese multinational corporation (MNC) investment is positively associated with social conflict, and if so, whether that relationship is a result of MNC practices, and/or other factors. Broadly speaking, scholars paint a picture in which China’s political regime together with its national culture and its economic development path influence Chinese extractive MNCs’ activities abroad and might contribute to more social conflict. At the same time, scholars writing on extractive conflicts have argued that conflicts result from companies’ inadequate performances, especially regarding community engagement practices. That is, in this second view, social conflict is due to mistakes that any company could make; that is, there is no “Chinese way” of operating abroad. The dissertation thus engages the following research questions: How do Chinese firms affect socio-environmental conflict around extraction? Why? To what extent do firm practices explain variation in conflict? Through quantitative and Geographical Information System (GIS) analysis and comparative case studies, this dissertation finds that firms with better social responsibility performance generate less conflict and Chinese firms do not confront more conflict than other foreign-owned firms. This finding has theoretical contributions as the results that Chinese mining MNCs do not perform worse threaten to falsify much of what has been discussed about Chinese mining firms, that they behave worse and cause conflict. Given the prominence of Chinese firms in mining globally, the study’s focus on Chinese MNC mining projects contributes to our understanding of extractive conflict, with implications for the trajectory of extractive sectors and, in turn, alternative or sustainable development options.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Publisher’s Statement:	© Copyright is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the Cline Library, Northern Arizona University. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.
Keywords:	Chines multinational corporations; Mining and mineral resources; Social conflict; Management practices;
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor
NAU Depositing Author Academic Status:	Student
Department/Unit:	Graduate College > Theses and Dissertations College of Social and Behavioral Science > Politics and International Affairs
Date Deposited:	29 Aug 2023 17:18
Last Modified:	30 May 2024 08:30
URI:	https://openknowledge.nau.edu/id/eprint/6096

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