China and its Asian neighbors in the new century

Abstract

The significance of the evolution of relations between China and its Asian neighbors is growing. The attraction of "China threat" as a thesis to summarize regional reactions to the rise of China seems to have subsided in recent years. Nonetheless, is the future of China's relations with its small Asian neighbors easier to predict? This panel addresses this and related questions. Hongpyo Lee begins the panel with a review of post-Cold War China's relations with the two Koreas. Gaye Christoffersen takes stock of China's embrace of the ASEAN + 3 formula for discussing regional political and economic affairs. Jeanyoung Lee takes the analysis to the societal level: migration of ethnic Korean Chinese into Korea, an issue that can potentially enter the arena of governmental level relations in the future. Finally, Hiroaki Takeuchi provides an update on Taiwan-China rela- tions, arguably the most important variable in the East Asian region.