1. Limitations of Existing Research and the Presentation of the Problem

The discussion explores the starting point and lifecycle of international norm advocacy, highlighting the primary role of international organizations in promoting norms while acknowledging challenges posed by Western-centric perspectives and the rise of emerging economies. International organizations advocate norms through educational approaches, yet these methods bear traces of advanced civilizations imposing norms on less developed ones, lacking equality in relationships. Such organizations struggle to establish close interest-based ties with sovereign states, weakening their normative influence. Their educational strategies are often elitist, failing to achieve long-term public impact. Moral and expert authority carries a Western-centric bias, and the norms promoted by international organizations may not align with the practical interests of developing countries. In response to these challenges, it is necessary to explore norm advocacy strategies beyond international organizations, with sovereign states being a viable subject of study. This paper examines China-ASEAN climate cooperation as a case study to analyze the significance, advantageous conditions, and strategic innovations of China as a sovereign state in norm advocacy.

2. The Significance of China’s Advocacy for Climate Governance Norms in ASEAN

The discussion highlights the importance of China’s advocacy for climate governance norms in ASEAN. First, global climate governance norms encompass prohibitive and encouraging measures, such as reducing fossil fuel use and promoting a low-carbon economy. China-ASEAN cooperation in this area is crucial for enhancing awareness and capacity to adapt to climate change, particularly in coastal regions regarding technology and infrastructure. Second, as the world’s largest developing country, China’s collaboration with ASEAN accelerates progress toward climate mitigation goals. Additionally, China’s advocacy in ASEAN demonstrates the value of developing countries in shaping international norms, complementing norms dominated by developed countries and promoting them on a more equal footing. China’s achievements in low-carbon economic development provide both justification and capability for advocating climate governance norms in ASEAN. Finally, the continuous innovation and diffusion of China’s low-carbon technologies require demand from ASEAN markets, offering opportunities for Chinese low-carbon enterprises while contributing to global low-carbon economic growth and the spread of climate governance norms. Thus, China’s active advocacy in ASEAN holds significant importance, with the ongoing construction of a China-ASEAN community with a shared future providing favorable conditions.

3. Conditions for Norm Advocacy in Building a China-ASEAN Community with a Shared Future

The discussion examines the conditions for norm advocacy in the context of building a China-ASEAN community with a shared future. President Xi Jinping proposed fostering a closer community, emphasizing that both sides should be good neighbors, friends, and partners. China regards its neighboring regions as pivotal for advancing a global community with a shared future, offering policy guidance for climate governance norm advocacy. Mutual trust underpins China-ASEAN relations, rooted in the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and sustained over time. Economically, reciprocal benefits define their relationship, with the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area serving as a model for South-South cooperation, bolstering trade and investment ties. China’s diplomatic approach to ASEAN prioritizes equality, treating ASEAN as an equal partner—a prerequisite for advocating climate governance norms. Civilizational dialogue, including the influence of Confucian culture and other Chinese traditions, fosters mutual learning and diversity. The Belt and Road Initiative provides a platform for collaborative idea exchange, reinforcing cooperation and generating endogenous momentum for joint development.

4. Innovations in Climate Governance Norm Advocacy Strategies for a China-ASEAN Community with a Shared Future

The discussion explores China’s innovative strategies for advocating climate governance norms in ASEAN within the framework of a shared future. China adopts distinct approaches compared to developed countries, focusing on knowledge sharing, industrial investment, and public education. Knowledge-sharing strategies emphasize equal dialogue and experience exchange, using professional seminars and technical workshops to bridge emotional gaps with ASEAN. Industrial investment strategies drive ASEAN’s socio-economic transformation through large-scale projects, such as infrastructure investments and acquisitions of key enterprises, leveraging technological and conceptual spillovers for norm advocacy. Public education strategies highlight collaboration among governments, international organizations, and civil society to directly engage the public, particularly youth, in knowledge dissemination to gradually shift attitudes and behaviors. Specific measures include knowledge-sharing cooperation under the China-ASEAN Environmental Cooperation Strategy and Action Plan 2021–2025, the establishment of the China-ASEAN Environmental Information Sharing Platform, specialized knowledge-sharing activities, industrial investments like new energy projects, and youth-focused initiatives such as the Climate Ambassador Program. These strategies reflect the principles of equality, mutual benefit, and shared development in China-ASEAN climate governance cooperation.

5. Conclusion

As rapidly growing economies facing shared climate challenges, China and ASEAN have announced binding climate governance targets. Their historical, geographical, and interactive ties in building a community with a shared future have fostered relationships based on mutual trust, reciprocity, equality, and mutual learning, creating favorable conditions for China’s norm advocacy in ASEAN. China has innovated norm advocacy strategies—knowledge sharing, industrial investment, and public education—to enhance norm acceptance, embed low-carbon technologies and standards in ASEAN industries and societies, and target advocacy effectively. The theoretical insight is that China’s innovative strategies rely on the strong bilateral relationship, underscoring the need to consider specific state-to-state dynamics in international norm research. Future studies could further examine the relationship between the China-ASEAN community and the lifecycle of global climate governance norms, as well as the diffusion and internalization of these norms in ASEAN.