Beijing’s institutional-balancing strategies: rationales, implementation and efficacy

Jingdong Yuan

ABSTRACT 

China has in recent years been actively engaged in multilateral diplomacy. From the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the One Belt, One Road initiative, Beijing is pursuing strategies and promoting norms that are viewed as concerted efforts by China to challenge some of the key institutional arrangements of the existing international order. This article seeks to discuss these contentious issues and assess the rationales, approaches and implications of Chinese diplomacy in initiating and promoting what can be considered as institutional-balancing strategies. The author suggests that the rationales behind these Chinese strategies have as much to do with Beijing’s shifting priorities and the need to address them as with reflecting a degree of dissatisfaction with existing multilateral institutions. And there are more marked differences in Chinese motivations and modalities in security arenas than in economic areas. However, it would be overstating Beijing’s intentions and capabilities if these China-sponsored initiatives are viewed as direct challenges to the existing international and regional orders. 

KEYWORDS: Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, China’s rise, Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, One Belt, One Road, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

北京的制度平衡战略：理由，实施和效力

摘要

中国近年来积极参与多边外交。从上海合作组织和亚洲相互协作与信任措施会议到亚洲基础设施投资银行和“一带一路”倡议，北京正在推行被中国视为共同努力的战略和准则，以挑战一些现有国际秩序的关键制度安排。本文对这些富有争议的问题进行讨论，并评估中国外交在启动和推动可被视为体制平衡的战略的理由，方法和含义。作者认为，这些中国战略背后是北京对于亟待解决事项优先性的改换和对问题解决的必要性的强调，反映出对现有多边机构的不满。相比经济领域，中国在安全领域的动机和行为方式之间的差异更大。然而，如果将中国推行的这些举措被视为对现有国际和地区秩序的直接挑战，就是对北京的意图和能力的夸大。

关键词：亚洲基础设施投资银行，中国崛起，亚洲相互协作与信任措施会议，“一带一路”，上海合作组织