Leaders at the APEC conference in Beijing agreed to start the process of the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific on Tuesday. The move is "a historic step we took in the direction toward realizing the FTAAP", President Xi Jinping said at a press conference after the conclusion of the 22nd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting.

In sharp contrast to the bandying of the "China threat" theory by some countries, China is willing to help expedite the building of the FTAAP. Because of territorial disputes and the resulting tensions in the South China Sea and the East China Sea, China has had to face severe criticism. Some countries and observers even said that like all economic powers in the past China too will boost its military might and try to change the existing world order.

As the second largest economy, China is expected by many to challenge the existing superpower both on the economic and strategic fronts. And, according to popular political theory, if the challenger is unhappy with the existing world order, it could launch a war against the dominating power to change the norms underpinning the existing order.