Takeshi Hamashita, arguably Asia's premier historian of the longue durée, has been instrumental in opening a new field of inquiry in Chinese, East Asian and world historical research. Engaging modernization, Marxist and world system approaches, his wide-ranging redefinition of the evolving relationships between the East Asia regional system and the world economy from the sixteenth century to the present has sent ripples throughout Asian and international scholarship. His research has led him to reconceptualize the position of China first in the context of an East Asian regional order and subsequently within the framework of a wider Euro-American-Asian trade and financial order that was long gestating within, and indeed contributing to the shape of, the world market. This book presents a selection of essays from Takeshi Hamashita's oeuvre on Asian trade to introduce this important historian's work to the English speaking reader. It examines the many critical issues surrounding China and East Asia's incorporation to the world economy, including: Maritime perspectives on China, Asia and the world economy Intra-Asian trade Chinese state finance and the tributary trade system Banking and finance Maritime customs.

To convey the image of a responsible power willing to contribute to regional stability and cooperation, China has shifted from a single-minded preference for bilateralism to an active participation in East Asian regionalism in the recent decades. This development has inspired discussions over whether a rising China could play a leadership role in building an institutionalized architecture for regional cooperation in East Asia. Nevertheless, this has not happened as East Asian regional cooperation and relevant activities remain mostly ad hoc and informal, especially when compared to regions such as Europe. To what extent has China contributed or constrained the development of regionalism in East Asia? What are China’s desired roles and objectives in East Asian regional cooperation? What is the level of trust that other regional players have for China in regional cooperation? This book seeks answers to these questions by exploring China’s motivations and strategic calculations as well as its policy practices in East Asian economic and security cooperation. This book was published as a special issue of the Journal of Contemporary China.

Spanning over a millennium of history, this book seeks to describe and define the evolution of the China–Southeast Asia nexus and the interactions which have shaped their shared pasts. Examining the relationships which have proven integral to connecting Northeast and Southeast Asia with other parts of the world, the contributors of the volume provide a wide-ranging historical context to changing relations in the region today – perhaps one of the most intense re-orderings occurring anywhere in the world. From maritime trading relations and political interactions to overland Chinese expansion and commerce in Southeast Asia, this book reveals rarely explored connections across the China–Southeast Asia interface. In so doing, it transcends existing area studies boundaries to present an invaluable new perspective to the field. A major contribution to the study of Asian economic and cultural interactions, this book will appeal to students and scholars of Chinese history, as well as those engaged with Southeast Asia.

The relations between ASEAN and China occupy a unique and important position in the foreign relations of the Asia-Pacific region. This volume investigates the impacts of global changes and regional challenges confronting the contemporary developments of China-ASEAN relations.

Arguing that security relations between China and Southeast Asia are profoundly affected by disputes over maritime space and territory in the South China Sea, the author demonstrates that the primacy of strategic competition over strategic partnerships promotes the emergence of a structure of deterrence, encouraging South East Asia to side with the United States to balance the military power of China. Combining the concepts of international disputes and order, the book establishes a framework designed to focus on periods of transition where international regulatory mechanisms are out of step with developments in the security environments of states. Features include: - Substantial evidence that strategic competition between the United States, China and South East Asia promotes stability. - A comprehensive account of military, diplomatic, economic, historical and legal aspects of security environments of states. Suitable for scholars and graduate students of international relations, international law, security studies, conflict management and regionalism, it will also be invaluable supplementary reading for undergraduate courses.

In China, East Asia and the European Union specialist authors from both Europe and Asia reflect on the dynamic relationship between the three actors from an International Relations perspective. The book is a testimony to China’s seemingly unstoppable rise, both in the East Asian region and in the relationship with the EU and its member states. The authors investigate why the economic links between the European Union and East Asia have become so firmly established, while in comparison the political bond has remained underdeveloped. They conclude that the crises the EU is currently facing seriously affect its manoeuvring space vis-a-vis China and its neighbours, both economically and politically. Contributors are: Ding Chun, Neil Duggan, Enrico Fardella, Frank Gaenssmantel, Tjalling Halbertsma, Daniel R Hammond, Jan van der Harst, Elisa Hörhager, Jing Jing, Werner Pascha, Sanne Kamerling, David Kerr, Silja Keva, Christopher K. Lamont, Li Junyang, Feng Liu, Maaike Okano-Heijmans, Nadya Stoynova, and Herman Voogsgeerd.

Since the early 1990s and the end of the Cold War, the implications of China's rising power have come to dominate the security agenda of the Asia-Pacific region. This book is the first to comprehensively chart the development of Southeast Asia’s relations with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) from 1949 to 2010, detailing each of the eleven countries’ ties to the PRC and showing how strategic concerns associated with China's regional posture have been a significant factor in shaping their foreign and defence policies. In addition to assessing bilateral ties, the book also examines the institutionalization of relations between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China. The first part of the book covers the period 1949-2010: it examines Southeast Asian responses to the PRC in the context of the ideological and geopolitical rivalry of the Cold War; Southeast Asian countries’ policies towards the PRC in first decade of the post-Cold War era; and deepening ties between the ASEAN states and the PRC in the first decade of the twenty-first century. Part Two analyses the evolving relationships between the countries of mainland Southeast Asia - Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia - and China. Part Three reviews ties between the states of maritime Southeast Asia - Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Brunei and East Timor - and the PRC. Whilst the primary focus of the book is the security dimension of Southeast Asia-China relations, it also takes full account of political relations and the burgeoning economic ties between the two sides. This book is a timely contribution to the literature on the fast changing geopolitics of the Asia-Pacific region.

Examines the intersections of power, culture and science that went into the struggle to overcome disease and improve people's health in Chinese regions of 20th century East Asia.

China's strategy towards East Asian regional cooperation since the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997-98Since the Asian Financial Crisis of '97-98 China has taken a leading role in East Asian economic cooperation initiatives, centred around the powerful ASEAN Plus Three mechanism (The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, plus South Korea, Japan and China). This brand new book from the International Poverty Reduction Centre of China's Qianqian Liu outlines exactly how and why China has pursued economic and diplomatic cooperation throughout the post-crisis years. Methodical and richly detailed, it offers a unique empirical analysis of China's actions and involvements with ASEAN Plus Three and the East Asian Summit.Author Qianqian Liu's integrated theoretical approach captures and pieces together the intricacies of Chinese interactions with its East Asian partners - enabling the reader to better understand the dynamics of China's regional behaviour and foreign policy. Together with research-based insight and data covering all aspects of this critical subject, the author proposes two key assertions. Firstly that China-US relations have played a significant part in China's increasingly cooperative approach to China-East Asia relations. And secondly, that China has maximised mechanisms of regional economic cooperation as a means of enhancing its influence in East Asia.Key features and benefits:- Unveils China's perspectives on regional cooperation by extensively exploring Chinese source material and materials - information only now available thanks to increased openness and liberalisation- Offers a key contribution to wider theoretical debates on China's rise and regional intensions- Examines the vital interconnections between the key contemporary International Relations theories - realism, liberalism and constructivism - rather than examining them as separate elements to help fully explain China's strategies and goals- Analytical coverage of China's involvement with both ASEAN Plus Three and the East Asia Summit- Offers comparisons between European regionalism and East Asian regionalism- Reveals Chinese perspectives on how China-US relations have helped shape China's approach to East Asia economic cooperationRegional Cooperation and China's Strategy Towards East Asia is published as part of a brand new series from Paths International, China and International Organisations Series. Published in association with China's Social Sciences Academic Press. Contents: 1, Introduction2, The Historical Development of East Asia and the Rise of China before 19973, The Asian Financial Crisis, China's Accession to the WTO and China's Participation in Regional Cooperation from 1997 to 19994, China's Regional Strategy from the end of 1999 to the end of 20055, China's Participation in Regional Cooperation in East Asia from the end of 2005 to mid-2009 6, Conclusions

This edited volume examines contemporary diplomatic, economic, and security competition between China and Japan in the Asia-Pacific region, focusing on their respective foreign policies under President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Shinzō Abe and regional security dynamics within and between Asian states/institutions.