Asean And The Rise Of China

Since the early 1990s and the end of the Cold War, the implications of China's rising power have come to dominate the security agenda of the Asia-Pacific region. This book is the first to comprehensively chart the development of Southeast Asia’s relations with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) from 1949 to 2010, detailing each of the eleven countries’ ties to the PRC and showing how strategic concerns associated with China's regional posture have been a significant factor in shaping their foreign and defence policies. In addition to assessing bilateral ties, the book also examines the institutionalization of relations between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China. The first part of the book covers the period 1949-2010: it examines Southeast Asian responses to the PRC in the context of the ideological and geopolitical rivalry of the Cold War; Southeast Asian countries’ policies towards the PRC in first decade of the post-Cold War era; and deepening ties between the ASEAN states and the PRC in the first decade of the twenty-first century. Part Two analyses the evolving relationships between the countries of mainland Southeast Asia - Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia - and China. Part Three reviews ties between the states of maritime Southeast Asia - Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Brunei and East Timor - and the PRC. Whilst the primary focus of the book is the security dimension of Southeast Asia-China relations, it also takes full account of political relations and the burgeoning economic ties between the two sides. This book is a timely contribution to the literature on the fast changing geopolitics of the Asia-Pacific region.

In today's rapid rise and expansion of China's influence all around the world and in ASEAN during the past two decades, there has been an increasing awareness of various countries and regions adjusting themselves to the new trends, both in terms of opportunities and risks alike. This has become necessary due to the rapid changes in many aspects — political landscapes, economic issues, as well as social and cultural considerations. This book, China's Rise in Mainland ASEAN: Regional Evidence and Local Responses, provides timely insights on some of the latest issues pertaining to ASEAN and China, rapidly shifting interactions and upcoming geostrategic challenges.ASEAN can be said to be undergoing a new era, with China becoming more intertwined and involved with the ASEAN region than ever before. The complexity of the regional dynamics means that this phenomenon cannot be captured with a single narrative or discipline of study. In addressing the matters at hand, this book sets out to examine and provide deeper understandings on the regional implications, and local responses from ASEAN countries, and from the perspective of the region as a whole. The underlying rationale is that adequate understanding on the matters involved in this new ASEAN-China era will help to encourage better and mutually beneficial relationships between both sides.The analysis of this book will be categorized into four main themes — (1) 'The Big Picture', concerning China's policies, strategies, and diplomatic stances, (2) 'Implications and Responses', dealing with how ASEAN members react and respond to China's actions and regional influence, (3) 'Perspectives on Trade, Investment and External Debt', which handles the economic facets of the ASEAN-China interactions, and (4) 'Connectivity in Focus', addressing various emerging and existing dimensions of connectivity expansion between ASEAN and China, both physical and virtual.

China’s emergence as a great power is a global concern that can potentially alter the structure of world politics. Its rise is multidimensional, affecting the political, security, and economic affairs of all states that comprise the world’s fastest developing region of the Asia-Pacific. Most of the recently published studies on China’s rise have focused on its relations with its immediate neighbours in Northeast Asia: Japan, the Koreas, Taiwan, and Russia. Less attention has been given to Southeast Asia’s relations with China. To address these issues, this volume, with its wide range of perspectives, will make a valuable contribution to the ongoing policy and academic dialogue on a rising China. It examines a range of perspectives on the nature of China’s rise and its implications for Southeast Asian states as well as US interests in the region. China, the United States and South-East Asia will be of great interest to students of Chinese politics, South-East Asian politics, regional security and international relations in general.

Dr. Yuan traces the evolution of China - ASEAN relations since the early 1990s and examines some of the key factors that have contributed to the positive developments in bilateral ties. Specifically, he describes and analyzes how China and ASEAN have managed the territorial disputes through negotiation and compromises ; looks at the expanding economic ties between China and ASEAN member states and examines the politico-strategic, as well as economic rationales for establishing a free trade area ; and evaluates the emerging yet still limited defense and security ties between the two. Next he provides detailed analyses of ASEAN's dual strategy of engagement and hedging, and looks at China's bilateral relationships with seven ASEAN member states : Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam - and examines how each ASEAN state adopts a particular mix of policies due to its unique historical and geostrategic circumstances and its threat perceptions. Finally, Professor Yuan assesses the implications of the growing China - ASEAN ties for U.S. interests in the region and dispels some of the misperceptions and exaggeration of both Beijing's intentions and influence. Washington retains much of the influence but does need to develop and adopt creative approaches to both individual member states and ASEAN as a group. -- Foreword.

This book examines the energy resource relations between China and ASEAN countries. It addresses the following issues: as the world energy demand shifts East because of the rise of China, ASEAN community and other emerging Asian economies, and as the Greater Indian Ocean and the South China Sea become the world's energy interstates, will geopolitical tensions over energy resources spark conflicts in the region, especially in the South China Sea? Against the background of China's rise and its growing influence in Southeast Asia, will China's quest for energy resource cooperation be viewed as a threat or opportunity by its neighbouring countries? Since the United States, Japan and India are important players in Southeast Asia, does the shifting geopolitics of energy give these big powers a new strategic tool in an intensifying rivalry with China? Or does the changing geopolitics of energy resources create more areas of shared interests and opportunities for cooperation between these big powers to balance, rather than increase, tensions in Southeast Asia?This book will be of interest to anyone who is keen to learn how the world, especially the United States, can accommodate and adapt to the new global energy dynamics and how China and ASEAN operate as new players in global and regional energy markets.

The rationale for this volume on China's Rise in Mainland ASEAN: New Dynamics and Changing Landscapes stems from the rise in recent years of China, ASEAN's giant neighbor, and in its wake the significant economic, political, and socio-cultural developments in the ASEAN region. In the last two decades, China has successfully established itself as a powerful regional and global power, surpassing Japan in 2010 as the second largest economy of the world, and has become a major player in the affairs of South East Asian nations.At the same time, while China's spectacular growth makes it vulnerable in terms of expanding its global dependence, it also makes its neighbours equally vulnerable due to their growing dependence on China. All of these developments have led China through its evolving foreign policy to exert considerable influence on its immediate ASEAN neighbours in many complex ways.While the China-ASEAN bilateral relations are soaring, there are growing concerns among ASEAN member countries about the nature of China's engagement with ASEAN. In this context, this book focuses on China's influence on mainland ASEAN countries: Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. China's Rise in Mainland ASEAN: New Dynamics and Changing Landscapes contributes useful insights, rich discussions, as well as the debates relevant to building a knowledge base about and better understanding of China's rising influence in mainland ASEAN.

The prospect of a new, rapidly rising China poses both opportunities and challenges for regional community building in Asia Pacific. In this book, intellectual leaders from the region present their perspectives on China's development. Four chapters by Chinese authors analyze the domestic dynamics related to the country's political and economic development as well as its external economic and political/security relationships. Contributors from Japan, Korea, member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and Australia/New Zealand cover the growing political influence of China in the region, its influence on security in the region, and the implications of China's continuing economic growth. Five final chapters examine China's regional strategy toward Asia Pacific, Japan-China cooperation on regional community building, taking a greater role in regional security arrangements and the regional economic order, and the cultural implications for the region of the rise of China. Contributors include Yang Guangbin (Renmin University, Japan), Men Honghua (Central Party School, China), Wang Rongjun (Chinese Academy of Social Science), Ni Feng (Chinese Academy of Social Sciences), Takahara Akio (Rikkyo University, Japan), Ohashi Hideo (Senshu University, Japan), Lee Geun, (Seoul National University, Korea), Jwa Sung-Hee (Korea Economic Research Institute), Morada Noel (Institute for Strategic and Development Studies, Philippines), Mari Pangestu (former executive director, Center for Strategic and International Studies), Greg Austin, (European Institute for Asian Studies, Brussels, and Australian National University), Jusuf Wanandi (Center for Strategic and International Studies, Indonesia), Chia Siow Yue (Singapore Institute of International Affairs and EADN), and Wang Gungwu, (East Asian Institute, Singapore).

Examines the rapidly expanding economic relations between ASEAN and China in recent years, covering trade, investments, economic challenges, competition and opportunities in the various sectors of the two economies.