Publication

This publication argues that the deficit of transparency in China's political system adds uncertainty and complicates efforts by other states to establish clear and dependable expectations regarding the future of their relationships with China. Four years ago, China was praised across East Asia for its outreach efforts – cooperative multilateral initiatives and development assistance – throughout the region. However, by 2009 regional countries were generally much more cautious, and many were unsettled by what looked like increasingly abrasive behavior by Beijing, particularly over territorial disputes.