China–Japan Economic Cooperation with ASEAN: Keohane’s International Regime Theory

Abstract

Research findings show that China and Japan realise the utility of regime-building with ASEAN, so both have started to build trust with ASEAN since 1997. ASEAN established the ASEAN–China Free Trade Area with China and the ASEAN–Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership with Japan in 2010 and 2008, respectively, and bilaterally, both sides gained mutual benefits from interdependence. However, China–ASEAN increasing cooperation is a state of asymmetric dependence in favour of China and the changing Japan–ASEAN cooperation is not so symmetrical.