China and Asian Regionalism: Pragmatism Hinders Leadership

China has made notable progress in consolidating its international foothold in Asia in the past decade. China’s success in its diplomacy in the region, to a large extent, originated from its active participation in various multilateral processes and mechanisms since the late 1990s. Many observers...

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Main Author: Li, Mingjiang
Other Authors: S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
Format: Working Paper
Language:English
Published: 2016
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Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10356/82718
http://hdl.handle.net/10220/40174
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Institution: Nanyang Technological University
Language: English
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spelling sg-ntu-dr.10356-827182020-11-01T08:44:56Z China and Asian Regionalism: Pragmatism Hinders Leadership Li, Mingjiang S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies DRNTU::Social sciences::Political science China has made notable progress in consolidating its international foothold in Asia in the past decade. China’s success in its diplomacy in the region, to a large extent, originated from its active participation in various multilateral processes and mechanisms since the late 1990s. Many observers are increasingly worried that China’s role in Asian regionalism is weakening U.S. influence in the region. Is this concern based on the reality of China’s international relations in Asia? Does China have a coherent approach to Asian regionalism? And, ultimately, is China emerging as the primary leader in regional multilateralism? This paper attempts to answer these questions by utilizing various Chinese sources and interviews. I examine the track record of China’s participation in regional multilateral processes and compare the differences in its role in three sub-regions: Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, and Central Asia. I conclude that China has not yet developed a grand vision for regional multilateralism and regional integration. China’s behavior in Asian regionalism has largely been driven by pragmatism – a pursuit for short-term national interests in accordance with changes in regional political and economic circumstances. This pragmatism is revealed in China’s super-activism in economic multilateralism, enthusiasm in non-traditional security cooperation, and differentiated approaches to conflict prevention in East Asia and Central Asia. China’s pragmatic approach is likely to be a barrier for the further growth of its influence and quest for a regional leadership position. 2016-02-25T08:42:32Z 2019-12-06T15:00:57Z 2016-02-25T08:42:32Z 2019-12-06T15:00:57Z 2009 Working Paper Li, M. (2009). China and Asian Regionalism: Pragmatism Hinders Leadership. (RSIS Working Paper, No. 179). Singapore: Nanyang Technological University. https://hdl.handle.net/10356/82718 http://hdl.handle.net/10220/40174 en RSIS Working Papers, 179-09 Nanyang Technological University 44 p. application/pdf
institution Nanyang Technological University
building NTU Library
continent Asia
country Singapore
Singapore
content_provider NTU Library
collection DR-NTU
language English
topic DRNTU::Social sciences::Political science
spellingShingle DRNTU::Social sciences::Political science
Li, Mingjiang
China and Asian Regionalism: Pragmatism Hinders Leadership
description China has made notable progress in consolidating its international foothold in Asia in the past decade. China’s success in its diplomacy in the region, to a large extent, originated from its active participation in various multilateral processes and mechanisms since the late 1990s. Many observers are increasingly worried that China’s role in Asian regionalism is weakening U.S. influence in the region. Is this concern based on the reality of China’s international relations in Asia? Does China have a coherent approach to Asian regionalism? And, ultimately, is China emerging as the primary leader in regional multilateralism? This paper attempts to answer these questions by utilizing various Chinese sources and interviews. I examine the track record of China’s participation in regional multilateral processes and compare the differences in its role in three sub-regions: Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, and Central Asia. I conclude that China has not yet developed a grand vision for regional multilateralism and regional integration. China’s behavior in Asian regionalism has largely been driven by pragmatism – a pursuit for short-term national interests in accordance with changes in regional political and economic circumstances. This pragmatism is revealed in China’s super-activism in economic multilateralism, enthusiasm in non-traditional security cooperation, and differentiated approaches to conflict prevention in East Asia and Central Asia. China’s pragmatic approach is likely to be a barrier for the further growth of its influence and quest for a regional leadership position.
author2 S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
author_facet S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
Li, Mingjiang
format Working Paper
author Li, Mingjiang
author_sort Li, Mingjiang
title China and Asian Regionalism: Pragmatism Hinders Leadership
title_short China and Asian Regionalism: Pragmatism Hinders Leadership
title_full China and Asian Regionalism: Pragmatism Hinders Leadership
title_fullStr China and Asian Regionalism: Pragmatism Hinders Leadership
title_full_unstemmed China and Asian Regionalism: Pragmatism Hinders Leadership
title_sort china and asian regionalism: pragmatism hinders leadership
publishDate 2016
url https://hdl.handle.net/10356/82718
http://hdl.handle.net/10220/40174
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