South East Asia and China's good-neighbor policy
- By Zhou Shixin
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E-mail China.org.cn, October 9, 2013
Indonesia and China have reached many strategic consensuses. The President of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, visited China in March last year. As the biggest and most influential member of ASEAN, Indonesia is the most capable country in shaping ASEAN's agenda. China's relationship with ASEAN is largely reflected in its relations with Indonesia. Hopefully, China will update its relationship with ASEAN to a comprehensive strategic partnership based on its relationships with members and good-neighbor amity in the near future.
Malaysia and Thailand are China's top trade partners in Southeast Asia. China and Malaysia have set a new trade goal of US$160 billion by 2017, an ambitious project as both countries are undergoing domestic economic transformations.
As a country traditionally friendly to China, Thailand has played an effective coordinator role between China and ASEAN. It has helped to neutralize the South China Sea dispute, resulting in progresses on a Code of Conduct based on DOC.
The President of Vietnam paid a national visit to China this June, and agreed to enhance strategic cooperation with China in many fields, which can be further advanced by Li Keqiang's visit.
This comprehensive strategic partnership can only be enriched by specific action plans. Not only should mutual relations be enhanced, but collaboration on tangible issues should also be improved, such as political communication, security cooperation, economic development, financial support and cultural exchange. Achievements between China and Southeast Asian countries over the past decade in such areas have laid a solid foundation, though greater efforts are imperative.
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the China-ASEAN strategic partnership. Both sides have agreed to build an upgraded version of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, which can be seen as the forerunner to upgraded China-ASEAN relations, and will produce more pragmatic results.
China has proposed an Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Maritime Silk Road, aiming to promote regional interconnectivity and economic integration. These between China and ASEAN will form a binding mechanism for China-ASEAN cooperation, and reinforce the bond of mutual interest in specific actions.
Cooperation in security and cultural exchange will be a new growth point for China's good-neighbor policy. In recent years, China has promoted common security and mutual trust in non-traditional security issues through joint military exercises in various frameworks, such as the China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership and ADMM-Plus mechanisms. Next year is the year of China-ASEAN cultural exchanges. China will provide 15,000 government scholarships over the next three to five years, and inject capital into special regional cooperation funds. Both sides should boost the role of the China-ASEAN Youth Association and China-ASEAN Network of Think Tanks. This will lay a cultural foundation for good-neighbor policy.
China's "balance between upholding justice and pursuing interests," "placing justice above interests" will contribute to building a community of common destiny between China and ASEAN members. It has also won the affirmation and approval of neighboring countries. China's good-neighbor policy is not a one-way street but an interconnected highway, which will continue to push forward China's relations with neighboring countries. This is not only in the interest of all countries concerned, but will also be welcomed by the international community.
The author is a columnist with China.org.cn For more information please visit http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/zhoushixin.htm
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