Two relevant trend can be identified as the primary driving forces behind change in the regional order of Asia. The emergence of a dense web which connects states and non-state actors through...Show moreTwo relevant trend can be identified as the primary driving forces behind change in the regional order of Asia. The emergence of a dense web which connects states and non-state actors through economic agreements, and the rise of China. The initiation of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) has developed wide speculations of China's regional ambitions. This paper attempts to provide an understanding of China's foreign policy, its motives to pursue closer integration and the implications that it will have for the regional order. The main proposition of this thesis argues that China’s foreign policy is aimed at establishing a multilateral order in regional and global economic governance with an ultimate goal of limiting economic reliance on the ‘West’. Thus, China’s aim is to pursue gradual changes within the economic order which will accommodate the economic interests and preferences of China better as well as that of other emerging and developing countries. The pursuit of a multilateral order corresponds to a need of a secure and stable environment which enables China to develop its own potential and dilute Western influences in the region without significant disruptions. The ACFTA inherently forms an aspect of China’s regional policy objectives as it serves to stabilise China’s relations with the most significant trade organisation in East Asia and corresponds to China’s desire to gain a more prominent role in international institutions and cooperative frameworks. This thesis suggests that economic interdependency forms the primary driving force behind these developments which foster the need for regional stability and closer economic cooperation. ACFTA has shown that China is willing to make significant economic concessions towards Southeast Asia in order to foster its cooperative relations. However, it should be considered that China will make the necessary concessions without damaging its ‘core interests’ in terms of economic development and access to strategic resources.Show less
