Regional Configuration Involving China

BRIC leaders: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (1st L), Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (2nd L), China’s President Hu Jintao, and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

source: http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20090617/000cf1bdd03f0ba27afb01.jpg

Regional cooperation is one of interesting phenomena IR scholars have discovered in this last decade. Based on my own research, China belongs to the most active countries in configuring regional cooperation. The latest development come up from Yekaterinburg. Besides actively involving in Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) which consists of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, China is now taking important role in colaborating cooperation between four emerging world powers with Brazil, Russia, and India. China’s strategy is clear: being global player by embracing others through cooperation, both regionally or bilaterally.

source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-11/21/xinsrc_2521104212010453190742.jpg

In that mission, China is also involving in East Asia Summit (EAS), covering 16 countries, namely 10 ASEAN member countries, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea, while strengthening its position in ASEAN plus Three mechanism. This is “China’s containment,” or, refering to what Prof. Kishore Mahbubani of Singapore said, China’s pre-emptive strike.