Asia from a relational theory lens: an analysis of the cases of ASEAN, RCEP and BRI
Montserrat Pintado Lobato, profesora de Relaciones Internacionales, Facultad de Ciencias Políticas y Sociales, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela. montserrat.pintado@usc.es. ORCID:0000-0002-2384-0745
Asia is a region of growing political, economic, and academic interest. In a space where the interests of the United States and those of China sometimes overlap, analysis typically overlooks the agency of the region’s states and organisations. This paper acknowledges the difficulty of addressing the agency of these states through a Eurocentric theoretical lens and is structured around the following research question: what new can we learn from taking a regionally grounded theoretical approach to the analysis of Asian regional dynamics? To this end, it proposes approaching regional dynamics from a relational perspective, placing interaction processes at the centre, and addressing the agency of regional actors. The paper applies this framework to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and two regional initiatives: the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Keywords: Asia, East Asia, relational theory, international relations, Asian international society, ASEAN, RCEP, BRI, China, regionalism.
How to cite this article: Pintado Lobato, Montserrat. «Asia desde la teoría relacional: un análisis de los casos de la ASEAN, RCEP Y BRI». Revista CIDOB d’Afers Internacionals, n.º 141 (diciembre de 2025), p. 21-41. DOI: doi.org/10.24241/rcai.2025.141.3.21
Revista CIDOB d’Afers Internacionals, nº 141
Quadrimestral (Octobe-December 2025)
ISSN:1133-6595 | E-ISSN:2013-035X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24241/rcai.2025.141.3.21
Reception date: 31.03.25 ; Acceptance date: 05.09.25
Este trabajo se ha realizado en el marco de la ayuda «CONSOLIDACIÓN E ESTRUTURACIÓN 2025 GPC GI-1138 Grupo de Estudos Internacionais – GRESIN», Proxectos Plan Galego IDT, Consellería de Educación, Ciencia, Universidades e Formación Profesional, Xunta de Galicia.
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