ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author stresses how a long history of common ideas and identity in Asia has informed a majority understanding among Asian nations that China's rise is natural, legitimate, and most of all beneficial for regional stability and prosperity. "China's expected emergence as the most powerful state in East Asia has been accompanied with more stability than pessimists believed because China is increasingly becoming the regional hierarch. On the one hand, China has provided credible information about its capabilities and intentions to its neighbors. On the other hand, East Asian states actually believe China's claims, and hence do not fear—and instead seek to benefit from—China's rise". The emergence of China as a major player on the international stage is one of the most significant developments in contemporary geopolitics. Finally, the author contributes to ongoing political debates about the rise of China and its consequences for international relations in the United States and elsewhere.
