Relations Internationales

When you look at the trade map around China, you are struck by the high level of exchange, products and raw materials, on the indian and pacific oceans. Another things might struck you, the lack of economic regime around China. The most important one, the ASEAN is focus on the immmediate neighbours of China which is not a member of it. However, the maritime roads are further than the ASEAN area. For example, there is no cooperation regime between the Middle East countries and China, even if China is a partner of the “police” navy forces around Somalia to secure trades roads, especially oil tankers, against piracy. It may be a good time to read again the book from R. O. Keohane about international regime « After Hegemony » (1984). I suggest the chapter 4 “Cooperation and International Regime” on the purpose of such regime. It may be a good idea to develop international regime which follows the emergence of China as a superpower.

Trade roads around China

 An hegemon is a good starting point to help creating an international regime on specific area of concerns for a set of actors. The purpose of this kind of order is to introduce predictability and to favour international policy coordination. This function is highly valuable in a strong interdependent world economy. Indeed, international policy coordination is very difficult because of the anarchical structure of the international society. If you argue for a free markets world economy, you know that some countries will deploy strategies to get what they see as their own interest. This might lead to economic suboptimal outcomes. But, it is not a sufficient argument to change this pattern of behavior, since it will satisfy their quest for national security and interest. This situation is not acceptable by any governments.

The other solution is to organize cooperation. Usually, after the regime has been created by an hegemon, it will survive to the hegemon’s disappearance. Such regime may be perennial without the required hegemon for its foundation. It provides pattern of behavior to enable policy coordination.

What are the features of this political object ? First, a distinction must be establish between harmony, cooperation and discord. Harmony doesn’t require any cooperation regime. The pursuit of its own interest by any actor automatically lead to the support of the others. On the contrary, cooperation is a set of decisions between governments, to adjust their behavior and avoid, reduce or counterbalance any adverse consequences which may appear from the pursuit of their self interests. If it is not performed, discord will surely take place between the set of actors. It is a highly political process with a strong communication requirement : “without the specter of conflict, there is no need to cooperate.” When governments look for goods or raw materials they considered as strategic, discord will be the most common behavior if any adjustment are not made.

Cooperation process from R.Kehoane

To establish a regime of cooperation, either in trade or arms, between a set of actors, one must evaluate actors’ preferences about legitimate behaviors and patterns of interaction in order to formalize and implement the adjustment’s decisions which will take place. An international regime is a social institution made of beliefs and practices for actions in common.

Secondly, after the definition of cooperation, how do we  identified an international regime ? Formally, a international regime can be viewed as a social object composed by “sets of principles, norms, rules and decision making procedures around which actor’s expectations converge in a given area of international relations.” Principles are general beliefs on the purpose of the regime. It is the reason why an actor becomes a member of a particular international regime. Norms are behaviors defined by their rights and obligations. Rules are closed to norms, but they are more specific and detailed. At last, decision making procedures enable the implementation of norms and rules or their modification to preserve the purpose of the regime.

What is of interest in the study of regime is the way they evolved. As principles, norms and rules are intertwined, it consituted the substance of the regime, it is very difficult to qualify the evolution of a regime. Whether it is a change or an adaptation of a regime is a difficult question. The essence of a regime are the components which induce a significant political behavior with visible consequences. Indeed, the purpose of a regime is to influence the interstate agremments between actors. Without a regime, the actors would exercise its full national control over its strategy. The weight of an international regime is to exert a pressure over governments to induce cooperative agreements on the issue areas under the regime. A misunderstanding of international regime must be clarified. They are not beyond the nation-state new international order. Cooperation is simply justified by the efficiency gains from the voluntary exchanges or restrains of a particular goods or raw materials. It is an arrangement motivated by self interest. To exist, this political arrangement must be carry on by the classical political actor : the State. It is not the end of national sovereignty.