This rigorous scholarly volume offers a comprehensive analysis of the three-decade evolution of ASEAN-China relations, tracing their journey from initial mutual suspicion in 1991 to the elevation of ties into a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) in 2021. Utilizing historical context, theoretical interpretation, and empirical observation, the book meticulously unpacks how this partnership has become one of the most dynamic and consequential in the contemporary international order. The core narrative examines the powerful dynamic between expansive economic interdependence, highlighted by the landmark ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and persistent political contestation. Crucially, contributors interrogate the asymmetry of power and the strategic agency of smaller states, analysing ASEAN's centrality mechanisms and sophisticated "hedging" strategies in managing escalating US-China strategic rivalry. Furthermore, the collection provides cutting-edge analysis of emerging domains, including digital governance through the Digital Silk Road and the profound geopolitical reconfiguration driven by the nickel-backed sustainable energy supply chains. This forward-looking guide is essential reading for policymakers and advanced students seeking profound insights into how regionalism acts both as a shield against uncertainty and a platform for shared prosperity, defining the future architecture of the multipolar Indo-Pacific.
