by Feng Zhaokui

My recent article on the possibility of constructing a trilateral strategic relationship between China, Japan, and India, published in International Herald Leadership magazine, has reportedly provoked widespread discussion at home and abroad.

An article carried in International Herald Leadership magazine holds different viewpoints from mine. The article, which states China should not establish an axis-style strategic relationship with other major powers in its pursuit of Asian cooperation, argues that a China-Japan-India axis is obviously in violation of the new China's security concept.

So, I would like to make some supplementary explanations to my initial commentary.

Different economic scales and strong economic complementarity indicate China, Japan and India can realize a win-win result in developing and consolidating strategic cooperation. To maintain a safe petroleum passage through the Indian Ocean, which undoubtedly bears great strategic significance to the three most influential Asian powers, also requires close coordination and cooperation between them.

In my opinion, promoting strategic cooperation between the three Asian powers not only serves as an important topic, but a brilliant prospect that needs long-time efforts from the three countries.

The focus of my original article was not on the establishment of a so-called China-Japan-India axis alliance. I only pointed out the possibility and advantageous conditions for the three countries to carry out trilateral cooperation from a strategic altitude after Japanese Ambassador to India Yasukuni Enoki proposed such an axis concept.

Enoki said on March 31 in New Delhi that a trilateral strategic axis between the three countries would help maintain regional stability and prosperity.

I do not agree with that statement, but I did explicitly state in my article that Beijing, Toyko and New Delhi should push for the development of trilateral cooperation in terms of the strategic importance.

In my article I mainly discussed the possibility and conditions for a multilateral cooperation between China, Japan and India.

I said the three countries should see the competitive relations between them in a correct mentality, and that they should not pursue hegemony in the region or deliberately exaggerate threats posed by others. I said none of the three countries should hold the idea of uniting with one party to contain another or uniting with a non-Asian superpower to contain or encompass another.

I also stated the three countries, while dealing with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), should form a healthy and benign competition and mutually strengthen their bonding through the glorification of oriental culture and civilization.

To accomplish these goals the three countries certainly need a long period of time to overcome numerous difficulties, but they should work towards them.

I completely agree with the viewpoint that China, Japan and India should attach importance to developing the three bilateral relationships between them. I also completely agree they should give priority to the settlement of the problems existing in bilateral relations, especially the problems existing in Sino-Japanese and Sino-Indian relations.

China's relationship with the two Asian neighbors can be seen as two weak links in its efforts to forge a chain of good-neighborly foreign policy. How to develop good ties with the two is also an important diplomatic task facing China.

To realize a long-held "peaceful rise" ambition, China certainly should attach great importance to developing and strengthening good-neighborly relations with its neighbors, among which Japan and India serve as two very important nations.

While appropriately handling bilateral relations, China, Japan and India, or in a larger scope, China, Japan and South Asia should also consider developing trilateral cooperation on issues of common concern.

No matter the perspective of the three countries' economic scales or economic complementarity, or the perspective of the necessity of the three countries' maintaining the safety of petroleum transportation through the India Ocean, it is a general trend for China, Japan and India to develop and establish a trilateral strategic partnership.

Such an alluring prospect certainly needs a long period to develop, but the three countries should pursue that goal just as efforts have been made on the establishment of the East Asian community (EAC), and a free trade area in East Asia, which both require decades of work to implement.

To realize a peaceful rise, it is necessary for China to construct several platforms to exhibit to the world its peaceful development strategy. Both its active cooperation with East Asia and active involvement in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) surely serve as such a platform, as does its cooperation with Japan and South Asia.

Only by exhibiting its peaceful development diplomacy through several channels can China better improve its international environment for its peaceful rise.

China and India have the world's largest and second largest populations respectively. Whether or not the two countries can realize a healthy and sustainable development through industrialization and informationization bears great significance to the sustainable development of all of mankind.

To strengthen cooperation with Japan, a nation possessing advanced technologies and productivity, will undoubtedly help realize sustainable development for the two countries themselves, and even for Asia and the world as a whole.

Here I want to once again repeat former Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's words concerning China and India.

As early as 1937 Nehru said the problems facing India and China are global problems as well, and the way the two countries develop would bear a great significance to the whole world. Thus the two countries should establish and strengthen mutual understanding and trust.

(China Daily May 26, 2004)