This volume presents a contemporary analysis of the impact of China's rise on the Mekong Region at a critical point in Southeast Asian history. As the most populated country and the second largest economy in the world, China has become an increasingly influential player in global and regional affairs in recent decades. Economic ties between China and her southern neighbors are particularly strong. Yet relations between China and the Mekong region are embedded in complex socio-cultural and political issues. China's accelerated growth, increasing economic footprint, rapid military modernization, and global search for energy, natural resources, and food security have created a wide range of new challenges for smaller countries in Southeast Asia. These new challenges both encourage and limit cooperation between China and the emerging ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). The authors pay close attention to these challenges with particular focus on the impact of Chinese investment, trade, foreign aid, and migration.

This volume presents a contemporary analysis of the impact of China's rise on the Mekong Region at a critical point in Southeast Asian history. As the most populated country and the second largest economy in the world, China has become an increasingly influential player in global and regional affairs in recent decades. Economic ties between China and her southern neighbors are particularly strong. Yet relations between China and the Mekong region are embedded in complex socio-cultural and political issues. China's accelerated growth, increasing economic footprint, rapid military modernization, and global search for energy, natural resources, and food security have created a wide range of new challenges for smaller countries in Southeast Asia. These new challenges both encourage and limit cooperation between China and the emerging ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). The authors pay close attention to these challenges with particular focus on the impact of Chinese investment, trade, foreign aid, and migration.

Differentiated cooperation and GMS cooperation provide a theoretical model and practical example to coordinate the relationship and to promote economic and political cooperation between large and small states for the purpose of economic, political, and social development on the national, regional, and international stages.

In today's rapid rise and expansion of China's influence all around the world and in ASEAN during the past two decades, there has been an increasing awareness of various countries and regions adjusting themselves to the new trends, both in terms of opportunities and risks alike. This has become necessary due to the rapid changes in many aspects — political landscapes, economic issues, as well as social and cultural considerations. This book, China's Rise in Mainland ASEAN: Regional Evidence and Local Responses, provides timely insights on some of the latest issues pertaining to ASEAN and China, rapidly shifting interactions and upcoming geostrategic challenges.ASEAN can be said to be undergoing a new era, with China becoming more intertwined and involved with the ASEAN region than ever before. The complexity of the regional dynamics means that this phenomenon cannot be captured with a single narrative or discipline of study. In addressing the matters at hand, this book sets out to examine and provide deeper understandings on the regional implications, and local responses from ASEAN countries, and from the perspective of the region as a whole. The underlying rationale is that adequate understanding on the matters involved in this new ASEAN-China era will help to encourage better and mutually beneficial relationships between both sides.The analysis of this book will be categorized into four main themes — (1) 'The Big Picture', concerning China's policies, strategies, and diplomatic stances, (2) 'Implications and Responses', dealing with how ASEAN members react and respond to China's actions and regional influence, (3) 'Perspectives on Trade, Investment and External Debt', which handles the economic facets of the ASEAN-China interactions, and (4) 'Connectivity in Focus', addressing various emerging and existing dimensions of connectivity expansion between ASEAN and China, both physical and virtual.

Since the dawn of the industrial revolution, and the ushering in of an era of global economic relations, the United States and Europe have been the core poles of economic power. However, China along with India are increasingly challenging the traditional economic hegemony. An issue of great importance is how this shift in the global economic balance of power will affect developing economies and the transition economies of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), which are located in China's backyard and deeply integrated into its economy through regional supply chains. This volume examines the relationship between transition economies and the rise of China through presenting empirical case studies from the GMS. In doing so, it offers insights into the effect of China on developing countries in general, and offers practical policy directions for the place-specific economies of the GMS.

Sino-Southeast Asian regionalism is exemplified by the development plans for the Mekong River basin, where ambitious projects for building regional infrastructural linkages and trade contribute to mediating the security concerns of the Mekong countries.