Trade dependence and cultural distance: An analysis of economic interactions and humanistic exchanges between China and ASEAN countries

This study examines the influence of trade dependence, encompassing both export and import dependence, and economic dependence on cultural distance within the context of China and ASEAN countries from 1995 to 2020. Employing random‐effects models and, we investigate the impact of these dependencies on cultural distance and explore the moderating effects of humanistic exchange. Our findings reveal that trade dependence, export dependence, import dependence, and economic dependence exert negative effects on cultural distance between China and ASEAN countries. These findings are supported by the robustness test. We further analyze the moderating effects of humanistic exchange on the relationship between trade dependence, economic dependence, and cultural distance, confirming significant moderating effects specifically for trade dependence. Additionally, we observe that regional trade agreements and cultural exchange programs have heterogeneous effects on the relationship between trade and economic dependence and cultural distance, particularly among China and ASEAN countries with established agreements and programs.