Moore, Thomas G., and Dixia Yang

Introduction
Regionalism has enjoyed a resurgence of interest in both academic and policy circles in recent years due to a wave of efforts to form (or deepen) regional institutions, especially those emphasizing economic cooperation. This article will examine China’s pivotal role in regional cooperation in the Asia-Pacific by studying its evolving perceptions of economic regionalism and its participation in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. While APEC is only one of several economic groups (PECC, PBEC, PAFTA, ESCAP, EAEC) with widespread membership in the region, it has emerged in the 1990s as the “central forum around which further regionwide institutional development … (is) likely to occur.” Established less than a decade ago, APEC has already raised regional economic cooperation from informal consultation to an official multilateral forum. Moreover, APEC represents an especially important case study for examining China’s role in regional dynamics since Beijing finds itself in a position to be a “regime shaper” as well as “regime taker.” Unlike its experience with most other international institutions (e.g., World Bank, International Monetary Fund [IMF], Asian Development Bank, and General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade/World Trade Organization [GATT/WTO]), China has been a significant player in APEC almost from the forum’s inception. While China’s current influence should not be overstated, neither can the shadow its growing power casts over the region be denied. Indeed, this article is premised on the belief that China’s evolving role will give profound shape to any future notion of Asia-Pacific community.
PDF