Abstract

The prospect of regional order building in the Indo-Pacific remains in flux. Today’s regional economic and security as well as balance of power dynamics in the Indo-Pacific defy easy categorisation. It is neither a straightforward return to great power geopolitical confrontation nor a reflection of the economic cooperative consensus seen in the first decade of post-Cold War era. Three critical factors and their dynamic interaction have been largely shaping the future trajectory of regional order building. The first is the status of US-China relations and its complex interaction with other key regional players, including India, Japan and ASEAN. The second is the impact of economic securitisation, which seriously challenge the numerous assumptions about regional economic cooperation and integration. The third is the competition and conflicting narratives, shaped by divergent ideas and perceptions on regional order building.

These three factors, including their evolving direction and complex interaction, are featured by their multifaceted linkages across multiple dimensions and involving diverse actors, resulting in intricately intertwined interests. Consequently, any attempt to forecast the trajectory of emerging Indo-Pacific regional order must embrace the complexity of the present reality rather than relying on simplistic or linear frameworks.

About the Speaker

Chen Dongxiao is the President of Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS). Dr Chen got his PhD from Fudan University. He receives a special government subsidy of the State Council. Dr Chen specialises in the studies of United Nations, China’s foreign policy and China-US relations. He has led numerous research projects commissioned by China National Foundation of Social Sciences Studies, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Taiwan Affairs Office of State Council and so on. Dr Chen has published extensively on the UN reform and China’s multilateral diplomacy. He is the chief editor of China Quarterly of International Strategic Studies (CQISS), a flagship English journal on China’s diplomacy published by SIIS and World Scientific Publishing House (Singapore). He is also the adjunct professor of Shanghai International Studies University.

Dr Chen is the high level advisor of Independent Team of Advisory (ITA) for ECOSOC Dialogue on longer-term positioning of United Nations Development System (2016), the member of ASEAN Regional Forum’s (ARF) Expert and Eminent Person (EEP), senior advisor on economic diplomacy for China’s Foreign Ministry, senior advisor of International Business Leaders Advisory Council for the Mayor of Shanghai (IBLAC). He also holds the position as Vice Chair of China National Association of International Relations.