La Chine, soft power régional

China Régional Soft Power by Eric Teo Chu Cheow The political economic and cultural rise of China has important implications for Asia China sees the crucial need to link its internal growth and stability to the stabilization of its immediate external environment progressive normalization of relations with Seoul and Tokyo is bringing certain rapprochement through economic enmeshment in North-East Asia In South-East Asia pragma tic policies and sophisticated diplomacy are stabilizing China-ASEAN relations and creating benign China image especially with Chinese soft power rising and the role of overseas Chinese strengthening But as China practices its peaceful rise or peaceful development in the region sino-US rivalry is expected to increase as Beijing seeks to balance and even clip US presence and influence in the Asia- Pacific whilst seeking to lead Asia and build an East Asian Community which it would also seek to lead