ABSTRACT
In Chapter 3, Eric Heginbotham highlights China’s deep and complex interests in Southeast Asia and the tensions between them. Over time Beijing has increased attention to the region to prevent the emergence of an anti-China coalition, maximize trade and investment, build strategic relationships with regional states, and secure territorial claims. Since roughly 2009, Beijing has more actively sought to advance its control of contested territory in the South China Sea, while using political, economic, and military engagement to mitigate regional reactions. While many regional states remain wary of China’s growing power, Heginbotham notes that Beijing’s diplomatic efforts and large side-payments to several weaker states have effectively prevented a unified ASEAN opposition from coalescing against Beijing’s position in the consensus-driven regional grouping.
