The Dynamic Mechanism Of Asia-Pacific Actors Participating In RCEP And Its Effect

Trade agreements are sprouting like weeds in Asia-Pacific during recent years.However,the plethora of trade arrangements have resulted in a “Spaghetti Bowl”.RCEP(Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership)is one of those many free trade agreements and the study of it will help to explore the emerging impetus and development prospect of Asia-Pacific economic cooperation.This thesis introduces a policy diffusion mechanism to explain the construction of RCEP by Asia-Pacific actors.Because the policy diffusion theory focuses more on the connections and interactions among actors than on the results.Goes beyond the perspective of independent decision-making of actors,it is more explanatory for the study of RCEP,which is shaped by several actors in the political and economic struggles of Asia-Pacific.In this thesis,the United States,China,Japan,ASEAN,and India are taken as main actors to explore what diffusion mechanism best explain their will and actions in Asia-Pacific economic cooperation.The process and characteristics of RCEP are taken as the result of diffusion to analyze how the diffusion mechanisms of actors affect RCEP.Finally,the thesis will provide suggestions for China to participate in RCEP and regional cooperation.Competition,positive incentives & negative sanctions,and coercion explain why the U.S has prompted APEC,TPP and withdrew from TPP.Emulation and competition explain China’s shift from adhering to the "10+3" model to promoting a series of broader mechanisms such as FTAAP and RCEP.Lesson drawing and competition explain Japan’s psychology of betting on both TPP and RCEP.Norms socialization & persuasion and competition mechanisms explain ASEAN’s persistent drive to build a network of ASEAN centred economic arrangements.Mimicry and competition mechanisms explain India’s aggressive attitude towards economic cooperation,its repeated applications to join APEC and its withdrawal from RCEP.The development of RCEP is mainly influenced by the competition mechanism,and its negotiation process is closely related to TPP in terms of time.In 2009,the U.S formally joined TPP.In 2010,APEC identifies the EAFTA,CEPEA and TPP as pathways toward FTAAP.In 2012,China and Japan put aside the conflict between EAFTA and CEPEA and pushed ASEAN to propose RCEP.While Japan joined the TPP in 2013,RCEP was formally launched,but it proceeded slowly due to differences among members.In early 2016,TPP was formally signed,and negotiations on RCEP acceleratedsignificantly.In 2017,the U.S withdrew from TPP,and RCEP negotiations slowed down.But as the U.S gradually put pressure on China,Japan and other countries,RCEP members reached a compromise,and essentially concluded all negotiations on market access at the end of 2019.RCEP is labeled as follows: “part of Asia-Pacific”,open regionalism,“Modern” EPA,and ASEAN centered.Competition and emulation cause RCEP to be an Asia-Pacific approach.Competition mechanism makes RCEP adopt gradualness and openness of APEC and “ASEAN+N”.Positive incentives & negative sanctions,competition,and lesson drawing mechanisms lead RCEP to adopt clauses of TPP,which covers some new areas.Norms socialization & persuasion result in centrality of ASEAN in RCEP construction.To sum up,the most important diffusion mechanism in the construction of RCEP is the competition mechanism,which promotes the process of RCEP,and makes it adopts characteristics of existing institutions.Moreover,the lesson draw mechanism explains India’s exiting from RCEP,so India is likely to rejoin RCEP.As for China’s participation in RCEP and other regional cooperation,the thesis suggests:(1)to be wary of “exit from agreements”,and provide positive incentives for India to lead it to rejoin RCEP;(2)to actively participate in multilateral cooperation,and curb the trend of“anti-multilateralism”;(3)to deepen domestic reform and promote the explore of next-gen trade and economic rules.