BRICSAM Seminar
As a result of rapid economic growth over the past threedecades, China is emerging as a new great power in East Asia, asituation that has triggered both policy and psychologicaladjustments in the region. On the one hand, with its rising powerand influence, China has been adjusting its foreign policy andlearning to behave like a great power; on the other hand, regionalgovernments have responded by pursuing psychological and policyadjustments that address the new reality of a region that isincreasingly influenced by a rising China. The adjustment processis not easy, and possibly painstaking, since it involves a majorchange in national psychology as well as regional structure. As aconsequence, the period of transition will inevitably beaccompanied by a certain degree of uncertainty and instability.Once the transition process is over, however, and the adjustmentscompleted, a new pattern of regional relations will emerge and,consequently, a new regional stability will be established in EastAsia.
Discussants: Dr Richard Stubbs, MacMaster University, and Dr Gregory Chin, CIGI Senior Fellow