China's Participation in ASEAN – based multilateral mechanism

Through this study, I will analyze China’s participation in multilateral institutions created by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. In order to do so, I will explore the role and influence of ASEAN-led regional multilateral organizations through the lens of three different theoretical approaches – realism, constructivism, and rational institutionalism. My research focuses on China’s changing perception of regional multilateralism and the benefits of China’s participation in the ASEAN-created dialogue mechanism, answering the question of how such engagement contributed to a shift in China’s international behavior. To do so, I will emphasize China’s activity in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), which is dedicated to discussing security issues in the Asia-Pacific region. n the course of the work, the main distinctive features of the dialogue mechanisms initiated by ASEAN will be highlighted, in particular, the phenomenon of "ASEAN Way" and its impact on the ARF institutional design will be analyzed. I will also evaluate the extent to which China was involved in, and dedicated to, the development of the institutional arrangements of the fora such as confidence-building measures and the elaboration of preventive diplomacy.