Xi's visit significant to regional stability
- By Yang Danzhi
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E-mail China Daily, November 3, 2015
China and Vietnam have cooperated closely in the training of military personnel, and established a joint patrolling mechanism in the Beibu Gulf. They are expected to deepen coordination in fighting nontraditional security threats such as regional terrorism, human trafficking, and drug and weapon smuggling.
As China's neighborhood diplomacy enters a transitory phase, it will have to readjust its ties with neighboring countries like Vietnam, which is also recalibrating its multilateral diplomacy to strike the balance with major powers－China, the US, Japan, Russia and the European Union. It is therefore vital for the Chinese and Vietnamese governments to better manage and control their disagreements without being influenced by third parties.
Singapore, the other destination of Xi's visit, is a leading upholder of the balanced major power diplomacy and has played a unique role in regional affairs. Its successful governance, in particular, has served as a role model for China's reform and opening-up, which were launched more than three decades ago.
China and Singapore and their top leaders have maintained a healthy relationship for years despite the stark contrast in their size and population. In general, Singapore is willing to see China's rise and at the same time is worried about the possible uncertainty that comes with it. It hopes an equilibrium would be reached between major players, including Beijing, Washington and Tokyo, to stabilize regional affairs, in which the ASEAN could have a bigger say.
The Beijing-led Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road are in need of concerted participation of Southeast Asian states, among which Singapore and Vietnam have expressed their willingness to join. Their membership in the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, though, poses a challenge. And that requires China work harder to alleviate its neighbors' concerns and convince them with more cooperative proposals.
The author is a researcher at the National Institute of International Strategy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
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