China and the Global Politics of Regionalization ed. by Emilian Kavalski (review)

Distinguished from most published works of regionalization, which mainly focus on the regionalization practice of the United States and the Europe Union, China and the Global Politics of Regionalization explores the multifaceted aspects of China’s regionalization in non-Western contexts, gives an account of China’s regionalization in the twenty-first century, and analyzes the impacts of China’s regionalization practice in different areas of the world.

A timely collection of essays written by established scholars, this volume consists of fifteen chapters, organized into two thematic parts. In part 1, Emilian Kavalski and contributors to this volume explore the historical roots and development of China’s regionalization, which has consistently pursued the principle of noninterference and kept a low profile in humanitarian intervention. The introduction, chapter 1 (by Emilian Kavalski), highlights the coexistence of different regionalizations in the world. In the following three chapters, the contributors are divided on whether China’s commitment to regionalization has historical roots in her foreign policy thinking. For example, chapter 2 (by Feng Zhang) addresses socialization in China’s regionalization policy practice and evidences that socialization is one of the most essential elements in China’s foreign policy thinking. In contrast, chapter 3 (by Sheng Ding) argues that China’s regionalization breaks from Sinocentric foreign policy thinking (e.g., the concept of “Tianxia”) and focuses on economic cooperation with developing countries. However, there are still several serious challenges facing China’s regionalization, such as the Taiwan issue and energy security.

Some contributors hold different opinions. For instance, in the context of Chinese attitudes and behavior toward multilateral organizations (e.g., ASEAN and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization), chapter 4 (by Jeremy Paltiel) demonstrates that China has resurrected the traditional core of foreign policy thinking. In other words, China’s regionalization could be interpreted as a “neo-Mencian” foreign policy, that is, China’s “status asymmetry is founded on the capacity to exercise moral leadership” (p. 55).

In chapters 5 and 6, the contributors analyze China’s regionalization in the discourses of domestic and foreign policy making. Based on case studies of China’s involvement in ASEAN and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, chapter 5 (by Jing-dong Yuan) examines the extent to which internal agencies (especially nationalism) determine China’s policy toward regionalization. From the perspective of elite politics, chapter 6 (by Enyu Zhang) highlights that China’s policy practice in regionalization is reinforced by Chinese political elites and decision makers’ policy claims of “peaceful coexistence” and a “harmonious world.”

Chapter 7 (by Greg Anderson) and chapter 8 (by David Scott) turn to assess the similarities and differences between China’s regionalization and that of the United States and the European Union, which are the two dominant models of regionalization in the West. In Greg Anderson’s view, China is similar to the United States in dealing with regional affairs, particularly in both countries’ sovereignty-restricting commitments. In the words of David Scott, the regionalism policies practiced in China and the European Union diverge when it comes to a normative emphasis on human rights issues.

In part 2 (chapters 9–15), the contributors highlight that regionalization is highly context-sensitive. Therefore, they review China’s policy practice of regionalization in various parts of the world, and highlight that the process of regionalization also accords with most Southeast Asian countries’ long-term interests, because China’s regionalization policies are structured by the practice of noninterference in the domestic affairs of states. Chapters 9–11 successively examine China’s regional policy practice in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Central Asia. In chapters 12–15, the contributors contextualize China’s involvement in regionalization in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and the South Pacific.

In my view, the most significant chapter might be chapter 10, “China’s Region-Building Strategy in Southeast Asia” (by Ralph Pettman), because it offers a thought-provoking framework for analyzing China’s regionalization in different part of...