China's Regional Governance In Border Area Development

This thesis is about the new pattern of regional governance which China is initiating. It is about how China set up cooperative structure with its neighboring countries and how neighboring countries react.The thesis argued that, through economic developing with neighboring countries,China is setting up the new model of regional governance which can promote the cooperation and stability in East Asia. China's projects of developing its border area are not only domestic development plan but also provide systems which can draw the regional cooperation.Conventional wisdom of international theory think that the near future of East Asia would be unstable and disordered as China rises with great economic achievement and China's neighboring countries also would fear it and try to balance against it. So China's border area must be rather unstable region or at least be the place of reluctance for investing capital. But, in reality, China started state-level economic development projects in the border area and most of neighbors actively take part in them.Methodologically this thesis studies China's two economic development plans. They are Chang-Ji-Tu project in northeast China and Guangxi Beibu Gulf Economic Zone development plan in southwest China. The thesis finds these projects have dong significant role for enlarging cross-national cooperation and contributing stability and peace in border area.The thesis reviewed related literature and introduced theory application in Chapter II, dealt with each case in Chapter III and Chapter IV and lastly concluded the thesis in Chapter V.In Chapter II, the thesis introduced conventional wisdom related with China's future. As aforementioned, many literatures argued the future of East Asia will be unstable just like Mearsheimer's'Gathering storm'. Every great power has its own military power which can hurt each other and great power is trying to be the hegemon in the system, this is the reason why intense security competition will come out as China rises. There also exist sanguine ideas. In spite of China's consistent rise, there is no worry of inevitable conflict. Nye argued the reason is China's economic growth itself. Economic growth strategy need relatively moderate foreign policies because of their dependence on external investment and markets. Ikenberry argued that if China can gain full access to and thrive with today's Western order i.e. liberal system, there could be no confliction in power transition.Some literatures are about features in border area. Like convention wisdom, border area is the last place for investing since it is very unstable and easy to outbreak conflicts. Many literatures were explaining it, and many of them showed China also had been involved in sharp conflict before its economic reform era.The trial of establishing East Asia Community was also introduced in this Chapter because that attempt was to set up a structure through agreement from all member countries, which is similar to other regional organization such as EU. However, in East Asia, such attempt has not produced any tangible consequences yet.Chapter III is about the first case of Chang-Ji-Tu project in China's northeast border area. In Chang-Ji-Tu area, state-level consultative body has not been working well. State-level organization such as TRADP has not made any tangible consequences for about 20 years. It indicates the specialty of this area where there exists big political and economical gaps among neighboring countries.But cross-border economic cooperation is still progressing in this area, which has been accelerated by Chang-Ji-Tu project. This thesis expounds it each actors including regional government, and market actors etc. Firstly, the role of regional governments form each country in Chang-Ji-Tu area is significant. China's local governments in northeast border have initiated economic development plan in the area, approval Chang-Ji-Tu project as a China's state level was also originated from it. And regional governments from each neighboring countries have long time experience of cross-border cooperation, which could be impetus for Chang-Ji-Tu project. For example'Governor's Conference of Northeast Asia', which is consultative meeting among each local government from China, S. Korea, Japan and Russia, has been held for 15 years.For checking cross-border economic cooperation, this thesis also studied reaction of market actors such as entrepreneurs. It would be still meaningful because it is essential to Chang-Ji-Tu project to attract foreign investment and to enlarge business activities in this border area. And it won't be possible for foreign business to invest when political circumstances are not stable, which means market actors'reaction to the project is also well related with regional governance. This thesis showed many entrepreneurs from neighboring countries tried to invest this bordering area. N. Korea which is isolated by international society and closes its door by itself, allowed lots of Chinese entrepreneurs to come in and start business.Many aspects show that Chang-Ji-Tu project is doing significant role for enlarging cross-national economic cooperation and contributing stability and peace in this area, even though that is not the shape of official state level collaboration.Chapter IV examines Guangxi Beibu Gulf project. In fact, cross-national collaboration in Guangxi area is more advanced than that of Chang-Ji-Tu area, and aspects of economic cooperation is also made as state-level. That could be possible because the economic cooperation here was made in the state-level consultative body in the relation between ASEAN and China from the beginning point.One of the important features in these economic cooperative actions is that many endeavors for economic cooperation have been initiated by China, and most ASEAN countries also admitted them smoothly. China-ASEAN FTA and'Pan-Beibu Economic Cooperation'are good example. Many specific vehicles for economic collaboration are prepared by China, which are also welcomed by ASEAN countries and participated by ASEAN countries. This thesis showed the cases like'The Forum on Pan-Beibu Gulf Economic Cooperation','China-ASEAN EXPO'which have been held in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region every year. ASEAN countries also showed very positive and active attitude toward these economic collaboration.It seems very certain that economic cooperation among China and ASEAN countries contributes to make this region stable and peaceful. The thesis founds that Vietnam which has experience of sharp border conflict with China is also very actively participating this regional economic cooperation and constantly emphasized on cooperation with China, especially with Guangxi area.In the Chapter V, This thesis argues these two border area development project are showing the new pattern of regional governance. As this thesis mentioned, neighboring countries near to the China's border area showed big interests and actively join those projects, as a result, the cross-border cooperation and regional stability were also promoted. From those two cases, this thesis could draw some characteristics about this regional governance.Firstly, it is the economic development plan that is the main measure in this regional governance. Under the circumstance where political, economical, cultural, and ideological disparities among the countries are wide, it is not easy to achieve political stability and co-prosperity through international organization. Meanwhile Chang-Ji-Tu plan and Guangxi Beibu Gulf plan were just focusing on economic development and they enabled all neighboring countries to take part in those projects.Secondly, in the process of the projects the role China was significant, since China provide proper environment for neighboring countries to join it. In Chang-Ji-Tu case, China first up invest big amount capital into this project, which reassured neighboring countries (including local government and market actors) about sincerity of project and made them participate in the cooperation. In Guangxi Beibu Gulf region, China suggested most of main project for developing economic cooperation with ASEAN countries. In addition to that, China also organized detailed vehicles where neighboring countries can join.Lastly, neighboring countries also admit China's status and role. Considering slow progress of TRADP in Chang-Ji-Tu area, it is important that neighboring countries (and market actors) actively take part in it only after Chang-Ji-Tu project was launched. N. Korea couldn't start to its openness without China's inducement and investment. In Guangxi Beibu Gulf project, ASEAN countries admitted China's economic development agenda and actively joined. Vietnam which had experience of sharp conflicts in border area with China also displayed its enthusiasm of joining economic collaboration in the region and emphasized developing relations with China.As this thesis studied with two cases, China's those two border areas are not unstable but rather vigorous and peaceful. So, this thesis argued this could be new pattern of regional governance which is different from that of European society and is also different with anticipation of conventional wisdom of IR theory. These facts would be important in making regional policy in East Asia and constructing a real East Asian Community.