Foreign aid imperatives in the Greater Mekong Subregion: case studies of Australian, Japanese and Thai Aid Coordination

Although Australia and Japan are among the largest aid donors in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), there is limited academic research on their activities as donors and on their relationships with recipient countries in the region. In this study, the aid activities of Australia, Japan and Thailand (an aid recipient/donor) within the region are investigated, with a particular focus on aid coordination practices. The empirical results show that bilateral aid coordination and cooperation are highly elusive and have been further complicated by the emergence of new donor countries that are supportive of the South-South cooperative model rather than of the traditional North-South model.