Mr Menghu Xia1
1University Of New South Wales Canberra, Australia
Biography:
Menghu Xia (Tiger) is a PhD Candidate with University New South Wales Canberra (ADFA). His research interests include Southeast Asia, ASEAN regionalism, ASEAN-China relation, Australia-China relation and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). His PhD thesis examines the role of ASEAN as regional organization in China's Belt and Road Initiative.
Abstract:
The question whether ASEAN matters has been widely debated in the region, with scholars such as Amitav Acharya and Alice Ba arguing ASEAN performs well in creating norms and socializing external powers like China. However, these arguments have not foreseen China’s current proactive policies, initiatives, and institutions such as the Belt and Road Initiative, Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC), Asian Infrastructure investment Bank etc. This paper investigates how ASEAN as the key regional organization reacts to China-led LMC in Mekong Subregion. Specifically, this study will use actorness framework composed of 4 components opportunity, capability, presence, and the ability of formulating a common policy to assess how ASEAN is engaging with LMC. This paper argues that ASEAN would continue shaping LMC framework practice and perform a limited actorness vis-à-vis LMC owning to the moderate competition among external powers and LMC member states’ recognition towards ASEAN. The ASEAN’s actorness level in LMC in the future is subject to the change of these four components. For instance, when ASEAN rallies enough material resources to fund its own initiatives or deal with Mekong issues in unity, ASEAN’s actorness in LMC would be strengthened. If the great power rivalries in Mekong subregion became more intense, the vacuum for ASEAN to leverage on Mekong issues will be narrower. In conclusion, ASEAN’s actorness in LMC remains limited due to constrained material capability, lack of presence, and disunity among member states.