The Analysis of the Economic Coopetition Strategy between China and the United States toward ASEAN under the Trend of Globalization

• Main Authors: Hsu-Wen Chen, 陳旭玟
• Other Authors: Jiann-Jong Kuo
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2015
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/26936365091213912322

碩士 === 淡江大學 === 中國大陸研究所碩士班 === 103 === Under the challenges of Globalization, China has been seeking the opportunities to join the regional economic integration in the Asia-Pacific areas by enhancing the political and Economic relations with ASEAN in recent years, however, theses actions have actually created the pressure and threats on the Asia strategies of the US government. By playing the important role in the East Asia area and the Asia-Pacific region, ASEAN is gaining more power and bargaining chips from both China and the US in trems of the strengthened interdependence. The interdenpendence theory developed by Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye can provide a framework to this analysis, and the idea of globalization can be taken as the impulse or driving power to the coopetitive relations between China and the United States, and that is to say, ASEAN, of course, is the political arena for these two super powers in this circumstances. According to reasons above, the research purposes are as following: 1.The key factors of China’s political and economic strategies whthin the cooperation with ASEAN. 2.The key factors of the political and economic strategies of the United States under the cooperation with ASEAN. 3.The response of ASEAN toward the strategies from China and the United States. 4.The analysis of the coopetition between TPP and RCEP, and the roles of China and the United States. The research conclusion are as following: 1.China aims to enhance the mutual trust on political divisions by pushing economic cooperations with ASEAN. The bilateral trade between China and ASEAN reached $350billion in 2013, meanwhile, China has become the largest trade partner of ASEAN. In sum, China’s key strategic factors include: first, the cooperation with ASEAN is in compliance with its foreign policy; second, it helpsto sucure its borders and forntiers; third, for the sovereignty of South China Sea; forth, for the access to the natural resourses in Southeast Asia; fifth, to strengthen its dominance and influences in East Asia and the Asia-Pacific areas; sixth, to reduce the US influence in this area, as well as Taiwan factor and so on. 2. The United States tends to maintain good relations with ASEAN by increasing military cooperations with them. The main strategic factors include: first of all, the oil shipping route, the Straits of Malacca and the strategic position of Singapore. Second, for the porpose of the anti-terrorism cooperation; third, to maintain the relations with core strategic partners such as Japan, Korea, Australia, Philippines and Thailand. Forth, to expand its force to South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. Fifth, to consolidate the dollar’sstatus in the Asia-Pacific, and to strive for the markets of India. 3. For China and the United States, the significance of ASEAN is its political position. Therefore, ASEAN tends to stay neutral between China and the United States in terms of political position, not only presents the economic dependence on China, but also depends on the US military cooperation and assistance to secure the stability in this region and promote its own military force as well. For the external challenges, ASEAN aims to accomplish RCEP and the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015 to consolidate its dominant status in the Asia-Pacific. 4. The United States is pushing its “ Returning to Asia” policy by promoting TPP, the so called, rule-based competition. On the other hand, China is not only supporting RCEP, but also advocating the establishment of AIIB, Silk Road Fund and FTAAP. In this situation, both RCEP and TPP have the specific characteristics in competitiveness, complementary coexistence, and the possibility of cooperation. According to Peter Petri, China and the United States will benefit the most from FTAAP, and the Sino-US relations will be the major factor for the success of FTAAP. Therefore, to ensure the Sino-US relations can be maintained accordingly, it would be more acceptable and comfortable for both China and the US if FTAAP is going to be reached by the cooperation and the mutual-accession of RCEP and TPP.