IS THE RISE OF CHINA A CHALLENGE OR OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PROCESS?

Before WWII, China was only a weak state that took almost no action in world State. After WWII, China transforms itself from third world county to the second largest economic country. The development of economic, political change, the role in world stage and increasing of military system are the recognition of China as the rising country in Asia Pacific. The economic has been rising very fast in the 21^st century since Deng Xiaoping reformed economic system and restored stability and growth this country. The territories with natural resource can developed by inviting outside investment from multinational corporation and development of financial service are the main point to develop this country. Moreover, the Open door policy was highly success system that opens the whole country to do trade and investment with other countries and became the member of WTO in 2011. 

Currently, the development of China’s economic is very fast which is the second largest economic country in the world becomes. That is the rising of China. Is the rise of China a challenge or opportunity for the Asia Pacific integration?

2.1. Opportunities: Building regional connectives, integration and economic development 

The growing of China economic is a good sign of Asia Pacific region. China can bring Asia Pacific opportunities for development, business cooperation and combating transnational issue. China and Asia Pacific and provide opportunities each other, meaning that The more opportunities China give Asia Pacific countries, the more opportunities that China get from Asia Pacific countries. In opportunities development, China and Asia Pacific countries can depend and help each other to build security operation to maintain security and to establish communities of common interests (zheng. B, 2013). In business cooperation, China and Asia Pacific countries are a good business partners. All of them can take benefit from each other. The business corporation between china and some countries in ASEAN, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand in 2010 and incorporate Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia by 2015, were pushing for regional free trade agreement and China-ASEAN FTA in 2010. The outcome of this corporation, China’s exports to ASEAN will grow by $10.6 billion or 55.1%, and ASEAN’s exports to China will surge by $13 billion or 48%. The total trade volume will reach $1.2 trillion Elizabeth. E, (2005). China is not only trading with with ASEAN countries about also the whole Asia Pacific countries, especially the United States. Moreover, China is a key factor to help Asia countries to deal with Asian Financial crisis in 1998. So we can assume that China is the leader of regional economy. Currently, the establishment of Asian Investment Infrastructure Bank is the key to build economic cooperation and aim to help many countries in Asia in some factors such as the development of infrastructure and other productive sectors in Asia, including energy and power, transportation and telecommunications, rural infrastructure and agriculture development, water supply and sanitation, environmental protection, urban development and logistics, etc. (AIIB, 2015).

2.2. Challenges: Regional Security

The rising China is one of the problems for regional security. Currently, after become the second largest economic countries, China has been increasing its defense spending, developing new war fighting strategies, and fielding advanced weapons systems to maintain its ambitious to control surrounding. They defend they legitimated interest and Chinese people think that China is a historical leader in the region. Because of these perspectives, it led to conflict and call up all historical conflict with some Asia Pacific countries. Along with that, the Deployment of US forces, the US alliance system and the involvement of US in regional issue are the challenges of china rising china. The threat, regional security concern and conflict are about and easy to happen when the competitive happen. According to Evan.B.M (2014), China is a regional military power that would be fighting in its own neighborhood. Not only could it devote more of its forces to a conflict, but it could also mobilize them more rapidly, sustain them more easily, and operate them from dozens of bases on its territory.

The conflict in East Asian region between China and Japan over Senkaku and Diayou Islands, and the conflict between China and Taiwan are the cause of regional security concern when military of china rise to one point. The ambitious to control its own historical and the struggle for regional leadership between China and the United States is emerging, repeating a historical pattern that often results in military conflict (Denny.R, 2013). Japan and Taiwan are alliance of the United States and Taiwan so any tension or arm conflict to Japan or Taiwan, the United Stated will deploy their troops to the conflict will let to regional conflict concern.

South China Sea dispute is a hot issue among East Asian and Southeast Asian, especially the whole Asia Pacific region. Up to now, the South China Sea conflict still has no solution for all claimant states. Sovereign rights over the water column, seabed, and island-like features of the South China Sea are disputed between China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. The strong state China will work out this dispute with smaller state but still don’t know which strategies that China will use. Surely, as a giant of region, the power and military will be used to maintain the conflict territories.  While economic and military capacity rising relatively, China will act actively in defense and expense the territory claim. At the same time, the other claimant states or smaller states will use all strategies to strengthen their own claim because of and in spite of the expectation that China's ability to project power into the South China Sea will soon be unmatchable (Denny.R, 2013).  An additional problem is the connection of the United States in South China Sea. The United States takes no official position on the territorial disputes but US has problem with China over the right to conduct military surveillance of China in exclusive economic zone and has intervened diplomatically to prevent China from dominating negotiations with its neighbors. This has added a layer of US-China strategic rivalry over the South China Sea issue. These are the problem that caused by the rising of China in Asia Pacific.

In conclusion, the rising of China provides both opportunity and challenge to Asia Pacific region. However, those are the different way between opportunities and challenges. Countries in Asia Pacific can corporate and make partner with China to share benefit each other, and some countries and against China’s policies that effect to their own interest. Every countries should look for prosperity and together for development.