ABSTRACT
In the second half of the 1990s, China was just starting to experiment with multilateral security co-operation; prior to that time, China refused to participate in such initiatives, preferring to base its security on its armed forces and bilateral strategic partnerships rather than alliances and permanent security institutions. China's participation in multilateral security institutions in Central Asia and in South East Asia became a testing ground for China to see if the neighbouring states would take Chinese interests into account to an extent that made it worth while for China to begin emphasising multilateralism as a central element in its post-Cold War foreign policy. Chinese security co-operation with Russia, Central Asia and the South East Asian countries was a fruitful experience for China that encouraged Beijing to play a more proactive role in multilateral security institutions outside Asia. This chapter asks the question if China has come to see multilateral security co-operation as essential to the successful pursuit of its national interests, and if so, what the consequences are for strategic co-operation between China and the European Union (EU).
