Published Paper Details:

The research study will investigate the evolving and multifaceted effects that China's modernization has had on regional integration and cooperation within ASEAN. China's emergence as a massive economy towards the end of the 20th century has profoundly impacted the economic and geopolitical realities within Southeast Asia. The research looks at how China's trade expansion, foreign direct investment, and region-specific infrastructure projects, in particular the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), have shaped ASEAN's economic space and frameworks. Chinese engagement has elevated the region's economic growth and connectivity but also raises concerns about political dependence and strategic vulnerability, especially as seen in continued disputes like the ones in the South China Sea. The qualitative, analytical mode of the research would evaluate ways in which ASEAN has responded to developments in this arena-in particular by strengthening regional mechanisms, seeking to promote economic integration through initiatives such as ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), and all efforts related to the preservation of strategic autonomy. The key findings indicate that China's rise has been a both-way push and pull factor in ASEAN's regional ambitions, displaying the bloc's navigation through an increasingly complex and shifting geopolitical landscape.