The meetings of East Asian leaders in Bali, Indonesia, in November 2011 attracted extensive attention. From the ASEAN Summit to the summits between ASEAN and China, Japan and the ROK respectively, the summit between ASEAN and the three countries together and the East Asia Summit, the message of regional cooperation rang loud and clear.

The international media took a keen interest in China's role in promoting the rise of East Asia and cooperation in the region. Huang Jing, a professor with the National University of Singapore, told People's Daily the reason why some countries outside the region also took part in the East Asia Summit was that the emergence of China and other Asian nations boosted the region's influence in world affairs. Their participation testified to the fact that China's rapid development has helped East Asia gain an unprecedented international standing.

Collective strength

In an article published on November 18, 2011, Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said ASEAN is home to more than 600 million people and occupies a geographical position of "enormous strategic, political and military importance." If the 10 ASEAN members unite, they will have a greater say in international affairs. Najib said that in the 21st century when economies are highly interdependent, Malaysia has rejected the outdated notion of "taking sides," opting instead for a new multilateralism. "The best way for ASEAN's members to tackle the current crisis and put ourselves in the strongest possible position for the years ahead is not to pull apart but to come closer together," he said.

ASEAN countries hope to strengthen their leadership in cooperation between ASEAN, China, Japan and the ROK by deepening internal integration. ASEAN countries that have not taken part in U.S.-backed Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations believe certain countries' participation in the negotiations will cause rifts in the association.

While Indonesia served as ASEAN's rotating chair in 2011, ASEAN put forward the notion of an "ASEAN Community in a Global Community of Nations." It set a clear timetable for developing an ASEAN Community by 2015 in a bid to bolster ASEAN's role in regional arrangements. It also charted the course for the association after the establishment of the ASEAN Community.

During the Bali meetings, ASEAN countries expressed support for Myanmar's assumption of the ASEAN chairmanship in 2014. A Singaporean expert who asked to remain anonymous said ASEAN faces risks if Myanmar serves as its chair in 2014, a year before the planned inauguration of the ASEAN Community. But internal cooperation in ASEAN will receive a boost if it takes this opportunity to push for reforms in Myanmar.

Mutual trust

The Indonesian Quarterly published an article in 2011 saying China's growing economic clout has enabled the country to rapidly spread its influence across the globe, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. In an interview with the website of the Foreign Policy magazine, Evan A. Feigenbaum, a U.S. expert on Asian studies, said while Europe and the United States experience economic slowdown and sluggish demand, China's demand has injected a strong impetus to the growth of major economies in Asia.

Analysts say mutual trust between China and ASEAN will increase as their relations deepen. Flourishing trade ties have laid the groundwork for improved mutual trust. The enhanced international status of the Asia-Pacific region is largely attributed to China's peaceful development, according to Huang. He added regional economic integration led by China is an irreversible process. The participation of countries outside the region will not bring about substantial changes to the process; instead, it will highlight China's pivotal role in Asian and global affairs.

China and ASEAN have made joint efforts to uphold the principle that territorial disputes in the South China Sea should be resolved through negotiations between countries concerned. As a result, the disputes have shown signs of easing. While expressing its willingness to devise a code of conduct in the South China Sea with ASEAN, China has warned "outside forces" should not interfere in South China Sea disputes under any pretexts.

Before the Bali meetings, foreign ministers of ASEAN countries held initial negotiations on a legally binding code of conduct in the South China Sea. ASEAN did not show support for the Philippines' proposal for a "zone of peace, freedom, friendship and cooperation." China does not believe the East Asia Summit is a proper occasion to discuss the issue and disputes should be addressed directly through friendly consultations between sovereign states concerned. Many ASEAN countries identified with China's views.

The East Asia Summit is only a complement to the ongoing East Asian cooperation process, and East Asian countries should have a say in agenda setting and policy making, according to Huang. China's growth will help prevent conflicts in the region.