Domestic Institutional Constraints on China's Leadership in East Asian Economic Cooperation Mechanisms

Bibliographic Data

ID12422979
AuthorsMargaret M Pearson (0000-0003-4266-9450, corresponding author)
Year2010
Volume19
Issue66
Pages621-633
Publication date2010-07-27
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Contemporary China (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1067-0564 • E-ISSN: 1469-9400
PublisherRoutledge (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/10670564.2010.485399
OpenAlexW2088611504
LanguageEN
Citations received5

The study of Chinese foreign policy has long shown that domestic politics and domestic constraints are sources of foreign policy, albeit generally considered less potent than ideology and interests. Domestic political constraints should also be explored as factors in Chinese regional policies toward East Asia, including regional economic institutions. This paper examines three domestic institutional constraints on regional foreign policy in the area of trade and economics: a fragmented decision-making structure that has difficulty with coordination, a relatively heavy reliance on top level decision-makers at a time when issues of Asian economic policy have relatively low priority for these same decision-makers, and the relatively extreme lack of autonomy for negotiators vis-á-vis top decision-makers in Beijing. These constraints are by any means unique to China. However, at a time when many observers and participants are expecting—indeed, often hoping for—Chinese leadership in the region, the paper posits that these constraints hinder the PRC's ability to fill this role. The key empirical focus is regional trade agreements and regional economic organizations

Autonomy · Beijing · China · East Asia · Economic system · Economics · Foreign policy · Ideology · International trade · Political science · Politics · Global trade and economics

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub