“一带一路”倡议下次区域合作机制化限度研究——以“孟中印缅经济走廊”为例

Research on Limitations of the Institutionalization of Sub-Regional Cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative:The Case of the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor

"一带一路"倡议提出以来,次区域合作受到了越来越多的关注,但是针对该问题的理论研究还相对缺乏。传统研究认为,机制化程度决定着全球合作和区域合作的水平,较高的机制化程度有利于增加公共产品供给,解决"集体行动困境"。然而次区域合作存在着"软机制性"、政府间主义以及坚持不干涉成员国事务等不同的原则和特点。因此,全球合作和区域合作的一般理论放在次区域层次并不完全适用。通过对"孟中印缅经济走廊"次区域合作的研究发现,机制初创成本高昂、共同意愿缺乏、关键性大国缺失、成员国数量少导致小国不敢"搭便车"等因素决定了该次区域合作一定时期内机制化的合理限度,同时机制化水平的提高并不一定有利于提升次区域合作水平和增加公共产品的提供,所以机制化不应成为所有次区域合作追求的目标。

Since the proposal of the Belt and Road Initiative,more and more attention has been paid to sub-regional cooperation.However,theoretical research on this issue is quite limited.Traditional research holds that the degree of institutionalization determines the level of global or regional cooperation,and that higher degree of institutionalization is advantageous for the provision of public goods,thereby resolving the collective action problem.In the case of sub-regional cooperation,however,there are issues related to soft institutions,inter-governmentalism,and non-interference in the affairs of member states.As such,standard theories of global cooperation and regional cooperation are not appropriate when it comes to the sub-regional level.This article considers the case of sub-regional cooperation within the BCIM Economic Corridor and finds that costs associated with initial establishment of institutions are extremely high,that collective will is absent,as is the presence of key power.In addition,due to the fact that the number of associated member states is limited,small states are afraid of free-riding.Given to the above factors,it will be difficult for such sub regional cooperation to become reasonably institutionalized for the near term.At the same time,the improvement of the level of institutionalization will not necessarily lead to the improvement of the level of sub-regional cooperation or the provision of public goods.Institutionalization should not be seen as the objective of sub-regional cooperation in all cases.