Chin-Hao Huang is associate professor of political science and head of studies for global affairs at Yale-NUS College in Singapore. His books include Identity in the Shadow of a Giant: How the Rise of China Is Changing Taiwan (2021) and State Formation Through Emulation: The East Asian Model (2022).

Why should a risen China care about how small states feel, especially when they have rival territorial claims? Chin-Hao Huang employs a framework of power and restraint in international politics to challenge the conventional wisdom about ASEAN’s role, China’s restraint, and U.S. power in a rapidly-changing Asia-Pacific. This book is a welcome contribution to the literature that shows why paying attention to the targets of Chinese power matters.

• List of Figures and TablesPreface and AcknowledgmentsAbbreviations1. The Puzzle and Argument2. Theorizing About Power, Legitimacy, and Restraint3. ASEAN Consensus in the South China Sea Conflict, 2012–20184. A Cautionary Assessment of U.S. Deep Engagement in the South China Sea5. China’s Identity as a Legitimate Power6. Conclusions on Power and Restraint in China’s RiseAppendix: Discourse Analysis of ASEAN Summit Statements, 2012–2018NotesReferencesIndex

Chin-Hao Huang is associate professor of political science and head of studies for global affairs at Yale-NUS College in Singapore. His books include Identity in the Shadow of a Giant: How the Rise of China Is Changing Taiwan (2021) and State Formation Through Emulation: The East Asian Model (2022).

Why should a risen China care about how small states feel, especially when they have rival territorial claims? Chin-Hao Huang employs a framework of power and restraint in international politics to challenge the conventional wisdom about ASEAN’s role, China’s restraint, and U.S. power in a rapidly-changing Asia-Pacific. This book is a welcome contribution to the literature that shows why paying attention to the targets of Chinese power matters.

• List of Figures and TablesPreface and AcknowledgmentsAbbreviations1. The Puzzle and Argument2. Theorizing About Power, Legitimacy, and Restraint3. ASEAN Consensus in the South China Sea Conflict, 2012–20184. A Cautionary Assessment of U.S. Deep Engagement in the South China Sea5. China’s Identity as a Legitimate Power6. Conclusions on Power and Restraint in China’s RiseAppendix: Discourse Analysis of ASEAN Summit Statements, 2012–2018NotesReferencesIndex

Chin-Hao Huang is associate professor of political science and head of studies for global affairs at Yale-NUS College in Singapore. His books include Identity in the Shadow of a Giant: How the Rise of China Is Changing Taiwan (2021) and State Formation Through Emulation: The East Asian Model (2022).

Why should a risen China care about how small states feel, especially when they have rival territorial claims? Chin-Hao Huang employs a framework of power and restraint in international politics to challenge the conventional wisdom about ASEAN’s role, China’s restraint, and U.S. power in a rapidly-changing Asia-Pacific. This book is a welcome contribution to the literature that shows why paying attention to the targets of Chinese power matters.

• List of Figures and TablesPreface and AcknowledgmentsAbbreviations1. The Puzzle and Argument2. Theorizing About Power, Legitimacy, and Restraint3. ASEAN Consensus in the South China Sea Conflict, 2012–20184. A Cautionary Assessment of U.S. Deep Engagement in the South China Sea5. China’s Identity as a Legitimate Power6. Conclusions on Power and Restraint in China’s RiseAppendix: Discourse Analysis of ASEAN Summit Statements, 2012–2018NotesReferencesIndex