China’s perception of minilateralism and Chinese-style multilateralism

Chinese-style multilateralism, while exhibiting certain parallels with the emergent minilateral groupings in the Indo-Pacific—such as informality and issue-centricity—distinctly distances itself from these frameworks in official discourse. By examining the perspectives of Chinese scholars and official stances on minilateralism, and exploring China’s evolving conceptual preference for multilateralism, this study suggests that China’s circumspection is not solely attributed to the perceived antagonism and the confrontational undertones of minilateral frameworks in the region. It also stems from the intrinsic disparities between American minilateralism and China’s favoured multilateral approach, characterized by defensiveness, inclusivity, and a distinct preference for scale, with the latter further demonstrated by three case studies: the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) mechanism. In this context, Chinese-style multilateralism emerges as a crucial strategy to enhance its resilience against possible scenarios of decoupling or ‘de-risking’ instigated by the U.S., aiming to achieve an equilibrium of institutional power and defend its role as a pivotal player in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. This paper concludes by looking into the implications of Chinese-style multilateralism for the region as well as its prospect within China’s diplomatic endeavours.