China's Regional Activism: Leadership, Leverage, and Protection

Why has China increased its attention to the Asia-Pacific region, especially since the late 1990s, and does it have a coherent short- and longer-term vision for the region as a whole? This article investigates these questions and notes the relationship between Beijing's regional activism and its global concerns, particularly as they relate to the United States. China now plays more of a leadership role in the region, is working hard to undermine the argument that its rise is a matter to be feared on the part of its neighbours, and if necessary hopes to be able to leverage improved relations in the Asia-Pacific in the event of a serious downturn in its relations with Washington.