A study of China's Asian regional policy focusing on the Hu Jintao and Xi Jinping eras. However, there has recently been heated controversy over whether China's regional policy has changed significantly from the past with its growing power and presence. With the current increasing complexity and uncertainty in the regional order, China's foreign policy towards the region will be one of the most critical variables in shaping the future path of the Asian region.
Keywords: China's Asian regional policy, neoclassical realism, Hu Jintao, Xi Jinping, leadership perception, assertive behavior.
Introduction
For more than decades, the Asian region has always been China's main strategic theater in which all aspects of its national interests exist. The strategic importance of the region in China's overall diplomacy priority is increasingly emphasized. They often argue that despite no fundamental changes in its official declaration and rhetoric of the 'peaceful development path', China's diplomatic behavior has seemingly become more proactive and assertive6, moving away from its long-standing diplomatic tradition of TGYH stance.
For more details, see Alastair Iain Johnston, "How New and Assertive is China's New Assertiveness?".
Chinese Foreign Policy and Asian Regional Policy
Historical Overview of Chinese Regional Strategy
In his view, the international trend at the time could be summed up as 'war and revolution (戈争与革命)', and such a revolutionary ideology-driven orientation was the primary determinant of China's foreign policy during 1949-76. In 1984, Deng officially announced that the theme of the time was replaced by "peace and development (和平与发展)" from the previous Mao's judgment on the "war and revolution". The first priority of the country became the economic development to restore the troubled nation, and its foreign policy objective was adjusted to support this significant diplomatic objective.
Last but not least, this was the period when the guiding principle of China's regional politics slowly but gradually moved to the grassroots level.
Guiding Principles of Chinese Diplomacy
27 People's Republic of China, “Constitution of the People's Republic of China”, National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China, 2014,. Fourth, the principle of "restraint" has been one of the most important principles in the development of Chinese foreign policy. 28 People's Republic of China, “Constitution of the People's Republic of China”, National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China, 2014,.
For example, it has been one of the core uncompromising national interests (总动动生) of Chinese diplomacy that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China to be reunified in the near future30.
China’s Asian Regional Policy in the Hu Jintao Era
Perception of International Situation
Throughout his regime, the new leader repeatedly asserted that the dominant theme of the time was “peace” and “development,” and alternatively added the new term “cooperation.” The new Chinese leaders continued to follow Deng's view of the international situation in the late 1970s and regard "peace" and "development" as the dominant theme of the time. At the same time, Chinese leaders and official statements repeatedly mentioned the deepening trend of economic globalization.
In short, the perception of the international situation and the diagnosis of Chinese political leaders during the Hu period did not differ fundamentally from that of the previous regime.
Challenges and Objectives
In fact, this also indicated that the overall foreign policy, which is often developed based on the perception of the leaders, did not change fundamentally compared to before. Furthermore, Hus's 4th generation leadership faced a number of domestic challenges which had a significant impact on the formulation of its foreign policy. China's rapid development in the past decades resulted in creating various social problems such as income inequality, rampant corruption, environmental pollution, poor healthcare and social services, etc.
Of the many challenges, probably the most important and fundamental task was the country's economic performance. In this sense, the main focus of Chinese foreign policy has been on creating and shaping a stable and peaceful external environment conducive to domestic development. On the other hand, there was a growing confidence that Chinese leaders shared with China's increased international status and role in international society.
Over the past decades, they witnessed the deepening interdependence and complexity in the Asian region, and the growing confidence shared among Chinese leaders and scholars about its role in international affairs. In particular, 2008, the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the reform and opening-up policy, was a symbolic and remarkable year for China to boast its expanded power and influence around the world. The post-2008 global financial crisis found China to be one of the mainstays of the global economy compared to the faltering US and Western markets.
2008 was a remarkable year in the history of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Hu and Wen Jianbao (温家宝) used not only the legacy of past regimes but also new ideas and concepts to cope with their environment and situation.
Regional Postures and Practices
Some typical examples of resolving land border disputes were China's settlement with Russia and Vietnam. 46 The Chinese White Paper on “China's Peaceful Development (2011)” first stipulated that core interests include “State sovereignty, national security, territorial integrity and national reunification, the Chinese political system established by the Constitution and overall social stability, and the basic guarantees to ensure sustainable economic and social development. China's involvement and influence in the Asian region is most evident in the economic field.
According to the China Institute of International Studies, China's investment in neighboring countries, including East Asian countries, amounted to $9.188 billion. In particular, relations with external major powers, especially Japan and the United States, have complicated China's foreign policy and often acted as critical constraints on China's strategic move in the region. In the 1997 Asian financial crisis, China's refusal to devalue its currency, which contributed significantly to regional financial stability, was one example of China becoming a more responsible actor in regional affairs.
One of the important reasons was China's persistent favoring of the 'ASEAN-way' approach to resolving conflicts between member states. This way of strategic thinking and approach had been witnessed throughout the Hu era in China's handling of the ongoing maritime disputes with regional countries in the South China Sea and East China Sea. China has always spared no effort to protect its sovereignty and fought against external criticism of China's domestic practices in the name of state sovereignty.
56 Suisheng Zhao, “China's Approach to Regional Cooperation in East Asia: Motivations and Calculations,” 57. . Multilateral diplomacy during Hu's period made significant efforts to participate in regional multilateralism based on mutual respect and non-interference. Second, Hu and the fourth-generation leaders were committed to promoting Chinese culture and tradition based on China's rich traditional resources.
China’s Asian Regional Policy in the Xi Jinping Era
Regional Postures and Objectives
Findings and Assessment
As discussed, China's rapid rise and the growing importance of the Asian region in world politics provide an important reason to analyze and understand China's regional politics. There were several signs of China's growing awareness of changes in the distribution of power and its growing dissatisfaction with the current US-led international order, particularly in the economic arena. First, the main objectives of China's Asian regional policy, as part of a broader peripheral strategy, have not changed fundamentally over several decades and will not change in the coming decades.
As mentioned above, the following three main goals are said to be the core of its regional policy: i) to create a stable and peaceful peripheral environment conducive to China's national development; ii) to effectively counter the US-led efforts to contain China and the widespread China threat theory, thereby gradually expanding its influence in the regional and international arenas; iii) finally using the region as a springboard to realize his ultimate vision of rejuvenating the great nations of China. On the other hand, Xi has also had to successfully deal with growing strategic pressure from the US and its allies in the region, as well as ongoing territorial/maritime disputes with its neighbors. In 2013, China held an unprecedented work forum on peripheral diplomacy, and Xi introduced the new concept of "kindness (親), sincerity (诚), mutual benefit (惠), inclusiveness (容)" as well as "new Asian security". Concept' and 'Asian Consciousness' to show China's benign intentions towards the Asian region.
Since 2010, territorial disputes between China and other claimants in the South China and East China Seas have escalated, and China's increasing emphasis on its national interests has worsened the situation. Second, on the economic front, both leaderships have made great use of China's economic power in its regional diplomacy. On the other hand, it should respond effectively to the growing strategic pressures of the United States and Japan and ensure its strategic space in the region.
Some newly developed concepts such as "New Asian Security Concept", "Chinese Wisdom", "New Type of International Relations" and "Community of Common Destiny" all reflect China's strong will to expand its influence. not only in the region, but towards the world. Finally, there is also a significant rise in the status of China's peripheral diplomacy in overall Chinese diplomacy.
Conclusion
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