ABSTRACT
One of the most critical changes in Chinese foreign policy over the past decade has been Beijing’s increasing interest in pursuing multilateral engagement and cooperation on a variety of global issues, a marked contrast from the country’s preference during the Maoist and Dengist eras for bilateral cooperation coupled with mistrust towards international regimes. With the turn of the century, as China continues to grow not only as an economic power but also as a political and diplomatic one, the effects of China’s institutional engagements are becoming more visible and relevant to the study of international organisations, regimes and regional cooperation, but also to more recent analyses into inter-regional relations.
