Wu Xinbo, "On the Major Transformation of the Asia-Pacific Regional Structure,"
World Economics and Politics, No.6, 2017

【Abstract】Recent years have witnessed significant changes in the  Asia-Pacific regional structure featuring the shift in power  balanceamong related countries as well as adjustments in their  respective regional strategies. So what is the prevailingtrend in this  transformation and what kind of regional order will likely emerge in the  future? To answer these questions, the paper tries to explore the  following dimensions: the evolving regional context, shift in power  balance and power converion, geo-political and geo-economic developments  and interactions between them, and evolving regional order. As the  study shows, the broadening of regional geographical scope, the rise in  the number of actors involved, as well as changes in the relations among  them, have combined to cast a pluralistic and complex flavor to the  regional struture. While the power balance among China, the United  States and Japan shifts, and power conversation is also occurring. China  and Japan are paying increasing attention to their security roles,  whereas the United States under  the Obama administration laid more  stress on expanding its geo-economic clout. In spite of the intensifying   geopolitical competition among China, the United States and Japan in  recent years, a Sino-US strategic compromise- which hold the key to  regional geopolitics- is more likely to take place in the future. On the  other front, some kind of geo-economic cooperation will probably  emerge. In the longer term, it will be the feo-economic trend that will  prevail over the geopolitical trend in the region. Finally, the future  evolution of regional order will mainly follow the economic logic,  accompanied by thr dilution of its hegemonic and hierarchical nature.  Hence, a pluralistic and complex regional community will emerge.

【Keywords】Asia-Pacific reginal order, regioanl community, pluralistic and complex structure, power conversation 

【Author】Wu Xinbo, Professor and Director, Center for American Studies, Fudan Univeristy