China’s International Cooperation in Cultural Heritage Conservation: An Actor–Network Analysis of the Ta Keo Temple Restoration Project in Cambodia

Abstract

In recent decades, cultural heritage conservation has increasingly become an important field of international cooperation. Within this context, China has gradually expanded its participation in overseas heritage conservation initiatives and has developed a distinctive model of international collaboration. Among these initiatives, China’s long-term involvement in the conservation of the Angkor monuments in Cambodia represents one of the most representative cases of international heritage cooperation. Taking the restoration project of Ta Keo Temple at Angkor as a case study, this article employs Actor-Network Theory (ANT) as an analytical framework to examine the formation and evolution of cooperation networks in China’s overseas heritage conservation practices. Drawing on field research materials and interview data collected in Cambodia, the study analyzes the interactions among multiple actors-including governments, professional institutions, international organizations, and local communities-during the restoration process. The findings indicate that China’s participation in international heritage governance has gradually expanded from the provision of technical assistance to a broader role involving institutional coordination. Through the translation and alignment of interests among different actors, a relatively stable cooperation network has been established. This study contributes to understanding the governance dynamics of transnational heritage conservation and provides empirical insights into the evolving model of China’s heritage diplomacy.