The Wave of Regional Trade Agreements in East Asia: China’s Strategy

Abstract

The beginning of the twenty-first century marked the East Asian region’s shift toward bilateral and regional trade agreements (RTAs). Consequently, the major question China currently faces is not whether it should get involved in the economic integration project but how it should effectively participate in this new brand of regionalism. This article first provides an overview of the RTA wave in East Asia. On the basis of the theoretical analysis of RTAs, an elaboration of China’s strategy against the hub-and-spoke bilateralism is made.