Between Adapting and Shaping: China's role in Asian regional cooperation

Abstract

This paper attempts to examine the process of China's participation in regional cooperation in Asia and the factors that affect its participation. It focuses on a changing China–ASEAN relationship that is reshaping Asia. To build a peaceful and stable external environment, China has been making various efforts, political, economic and in the security field, to maintain and upgrade a harmonious and constructive relationship with its neighboring East Asian countries. Politically, China acceded to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), essentially accepting the code of conduct stipulated by ASEAN and prompting other regional countries to observe this code. China has been supportive of ASEAN, playing a leadership role in East Asian regional cooperation. China and Asian regional cooperation is an evolving concept and a couple of theoretical points may be taken into account, such as how regional cooperation influences major powers' international behavior and vice versa.

Notes

^*Ren Xiao is Professor and Associate Dean at the Institute of International Studies, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. Earlier he was Senior Fellow and Director of the Asia Pacific Studies Department, Shanghai Institute for International Studies (SIIS). Before joining SIIS, he taught at Fudan University Department of International Politics from 1992 to 2002 as lecturer (1992–1996), associate professor (1996–2001) and professor (2001–2002). He studied in the University of Essex in England (1990–1991) and held research or teaching positions at the University of Turku, Finland, Nagoya University, Japan, and The George Washington University in Washington, DC, USA. His research concentrates on international relations of the Asia–Pacific, Northeast Asian security, and East Asian economic and security multilateralism. His recent articles are, among others, ‘China in search of a responsible role in the Korean Peninsula’, and ‘Toward a Chinese school of international relations?’. His other publications (available in Chinese) include New Perspectives on International Relations Theory (Beijing: The Changzheng Press, 2001) and US–China Japan–Triangular Relationship (Hangzhou: The Zhejiang Peoples Publishing House, 2002). He received his Ph.D. in political science from Fudan University in 1992. He is grateful to Larry Foster and the two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on and suggestions for the earlier drafts.

^1. For an early, good overview of the ASEAN Regional Forum, see Michael Leifer, The ASEAN Regional Forum: Extending ASEAN's Model of Regional Security, Adelphi Paper 302 (London: International Institute for Strategic Studies, 1996). Also see Tan See Seng et al., A New Agenda for the ASEAN Regional Forum, IDSS Monograph No. 4 (Singapore: Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies, 2002).

^2. The Mekong River is the heart and soul of mainland Southeast Asia. The 12th longest river in the world, the Mekong runs 4,800 kilometers from its headwaters on the Tibetan Plateau through Yunnan Province in China, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam.

^3. Hong Kong was different, of course; the HK dollar was attacked by currency speculation, shortly after the handover of sovereignty.

^4. China's Growth As a Regional Economic Power: Impacts and Implications, Hearing before the US–China Economic and Security Review Commission, 4 December 2003 (Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 2003), p. iii.

^5. See Documents of the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 2002). The Seventeenth Party Congress held in October 2007 reiterated the eight-character guidelines of China's neighborhood diplomacy.

^6. At the working level, there exists a question how to balance the relationships when implementing Chinese foreign policy. When he was asked the question, Qian Qichen, former Vice Premier and the dean of foreign policy implementation, responded by writing down three sentences, ‘major powers are the key; surrounding countries are the first priority; and developing countries are the foundation’. Later a fourth one, stemming from internal discussions, was added to that, namely, ‘multilateral forums are the stage’.

^7. Quoted in ‘Regional cooperation and China–ASEAN relations’, remarks by Zhao Jianhua, Counsellor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China, 11 September 2004, Shanghai.

^8. It is itself a controversial term in China, as some people argue that China has been a benefactor of the current international order and thus ought not to advocate a ‘new international order’.

^9. Author's interview, 15 September 2005.

^10. The other one is Central Asia and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to China's northwest.

^11. Rodolfo C. Severino, ‘Asean's free-trade future’, Asian Wall Street Journal, (6 November 2002), p. A11.

^12. Rodolfo C. Severino, ‘Asean's free-trade future’, Asian Wall Street Journal, (6 November 2002), p. A11

^13. Ching Cheong, ‘Can China live up to Asia's expectations?’, The Straits Times, (Monday, 5 November 2001).

^14. Zhang Zhen and Peng Yun, ‘The ASEAN factor in creating a China–ASEAN free trade area’, Dongnanya zong heng [Around Southeast Asia] no. 10, (2002).

^15. Ching Cheong, ‘Can China live up to Asia's expectations?’.

^16. See H.E. Wu Jianmin, ‘Guo ji xing shi yu zhong guo wai jiao’ [‘International situation and China's diplomacy’], Wai jiao xue yuan xue bao [Journal of China Foreign Affairs University] no. 75, (March 2004).

^17. Renmin ribao [People's Daily], (3 March 2004), p. 2.

^18. Renmin ribao [People's Daily], (9 September 2004).

^19. Its English name was changed to China Foreign Affairs University.

^20. ‘Chairman's statement of the Ninth ASEAN plus Three Summit’, Kuala Lumpur, 12 December 2005, available at: http://www.aseansec.org/18043.htm.

^21. Final Report of the East Asia Study Group, available at: www.aseansec.org.

^22. Author's interview, 8 October 2005.

^23. Author's interview, 8 October 2005

^24. The text of the Second Joint Statement is available on ASEAN's website.

^25. Renmin ribao, (15 July 2006), p. 2.

^26. I thank the anonymous referee for this truly constructive and useful point.

^27. Author's interview, 15 September 2005.

^28. Renmin ribao [People's Daily], (5 November 2002).

^29. The other one is the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which includes China's northwestern neighbors.

^30. Wang Yi, ‘Quan qiu hua jin cheng zhong de ya zhou qu yu he zuo’ [‘Asian regional cooperation in the process of globalization’], Wai jiao xue yuan xue bao [Journal of China Foreign Affairs University] no. 76, (June 2004).

^31. Mr Cui's speech at the Second East Asia Investment Forum, Weihai, Shandong Province, 29 July 2006. Available at: http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/chn/zxxx/t265661.htm.

^32. One major conference was ‘East Asian Community: Prospects and Issues’, held on 21–22 April 2004 at China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing. Also see Qin Yaqing and Wang Yan, ‘Jiangou gongtongti de dongya moshi’ [‘Building a community the East Asian way’], Waijiao xueyuan xuebao [Journal of China Foreign Affairs University] no. 78, (December 2004).

^33. ‘Wen delivers speech at East Asia Summit’, available at: http://www.gov.cn/english/2005-12/12/content_124641.htm.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ren Xiao

34 *Ren Xiao is Professor and Associate Dean at the Institute of International Studies, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. Earlier he was Senior Fellow and Director of the Asia Pacific Studies Department, Shanghai Institute for International Studies (SIIS). Before joining SIIS, he taught at Fudan University Department of International Politics from 1992 to 2002 as lecturer (1992–1996), associate professor (1996–2001) and professor (2001–2002). He studied in the University of Essex in England (1990–1991) and held research or teaching positions at the University of Turku, Finland, Nagoya University, Japan, and The George Washington University in Washington, DC, USA. His research concentrates on international relations of the Asia–Pacific, Northeast Asian security, and East Asian economic and security multilateralism. His recent articles are, among others, ‘China in search of a responsible role in the Korean Peninsula’, and ‘Toward a Chinese school of international relations?’. His other publications (available in Chinese) include New Perspectives on International Relations Theory (Beijing: The Changzheng Press, 2001) and US–China Japan–Triangular Relationship (Hangzhou: The Zhejiang Peoples Publishing House, 2002). He received his Ph.D. in political science from Fudan University in 1992. He is grateful to Larry Foster and the two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on and suggestions for the earlier drafts.