| Summary: | This article seeks to explore the dynamics of region construction in East
Asia, through both formal regional institutions and informal regionalization
processes. Regionalism, particularly in Southeast and East Asia, is often
explained as a formal regionalist project. ASEAN serves as a prime example
but many other intra-regional processes, such as the ASEAN plus Three, the
East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Regional Forum, are also cases in point.
These processes, representing state actors, do not necessarily work in autonomous
spaces and discrete spheres, but rather interact with non-state entities
through multi-level networking. This networking provides opportunities for
the development of either 'positive' or 'negative' regionalism. As such, this
article looks at the interplay of cross-level actor-networks and how they affect
the direction and scope of regionalization in East Asia. It aims to show the
dynamic interplay of multiple regional actors that can consciously or unconsciously
contribute to the strengthening or weakening of region construction.
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