By Zhai Kun
Over the past 15 years since the end of the Cold War, China's
fast growth, ASEAN's (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)
increased strength and the accelerating development of the
China-ASEAN ties are the three salient features of the revival of
Asia as a whole on the world stage.
It is in this scenario that "the Commemorative Summit Marking
the 15th Anniversary of the ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations" is
slated to open today in Nanning, capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
The summit will take stock of the China-ASEAN co-operation that
has worked in the past 15 years to yield such rich fruits and also
chart course for the China-ASEAN relations to go in the next 15
years.
At this moment of importance, the two parties are supposed to
introduce a "new concept of time and space" to facilitate the
progress of the China-ASEAN ties in the future. By the "new concept
of time," it is meant that the two parties better tune the rhythm
at which the relations move ahead.
The upcoming 15 years are of strategic importance to both sides,
taking into account that the ASEAN is currently working towards the
ASEAN Community by 2020 and China is embarking on the road of
peaceful development.
The past 15 years have witnessed the "triple jump" of
China-ASEAN relations, which have been through three stages:
establishment of a comprehensive dialogue framework,
good-neighborliness and mutual trust partnership towards 21st
century and strategic partnership for peace and prosperity.
The next 15 years will mark a new phase of China-ASEAN strategic
partnership, which will go ahead in a steadier and healthier way
and enjoy more security.
It is of paramount importance to make sure that the bilateral
ties develop at harmoniously paced rhythms. Progress in various
fields must be pushed ahead at varying tempos.
For example, in the fields of politics, economics, society,
culture and non-traditional security, in which the co-operations of
the two parties are relatively ripe, the current pace of
co-operation can be maintained or accelerated so that the
co-operative basis is further consolidated.
With regard to the ideas of East Asia regional co-operation and
nurturing shared regional conceptions, which call for caution and
careful probing, the co-operation may proceed at a moderate pace,
neither too fast nor too slow.
In the areas involving sensitive matters, such as traditional
security, however, patience is called for so that conditions for
co-operation in these areas will get ripe gradually in good time,
much in the fashion of following the natural flow.
The "new concept of space" refers to orchestrating the
co-operation and exchanges at various levels and on different
platforms.
Over the years, six exchange platforms at different levels have
crystallized.
The first is the traditional exchanges and co-operation between
the Chinese provinces, which border on or are close to the
Southeast Asian region and ASEAN member countries. These involve Yunnan, Hainan, Fujian and Guangdong provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang
Autonomous Region, on the Chinese side.
Sub-regional co-operation falls under the second category and
means the co-operation between one or a group of Chinese provinces
on the one side and several ASEAN member countries on the
other.
China's Yunnan Province, for example, has got involved in the
Great Mekong River Sub-regional economic co-operation and Guangxi
Zhuang Autonomous Region is launching a Pan Beibu Gulf Economic
Zone.
The third type refers to the bilateral relations between China
and the 10 ASEAN member countries, representing the basic and
typical ties.
The fourth type is the well-organized exchanges and
communications between China and ASEAN, which find expression in
the annual China-ASEAN Summit, the dialogue and co-operative
mechanisms at various levels, crystallization of the China-ASEAN
Free Trade Area and functional co-operation and annual China-ASEAN
Expo as well.
The fifth refers to China-ASEAN co-operation within the scope of
East Asia such as the ASEAN Plus Three (China, Japan and the
Republic of Korea) co-operation and the East Asia Summit.
The co-operation between China and ASEAN in the international
forum falls under the sixth category, involving China-ASEAN
interaction in Asia-Pacific, Asia-Europe, Asia-Africa and
Asia-Latin America geo-political and economic scenarios. It also
includes China-ASEAN orchestrated actions inside international
organizations, with the United Nations as the most important
one.
This kind of compound multi-level co-operation necessarily
multiplies the complexity and difficulties in formulating relevant
policies and implementing them.
The key to resolving the problem lies in that China takes into
consideration the balance between the local, national, regional and
global interests when mapping out and implementing its Southeast
Asia policies.
In the past 15 years since China-ASEAN relations started, the
orchestration of different types of interests has gradually moved
into good shape. The most prominent illustration is that China not
only respects the sovereignty of ASEAN member countries but also
takes into account the feelings of them while treating them at a
comfortable level and supports ASEAN's leading role in the East
Asian co-operation.
In the next 15 years, the key to bringing about win-win outcomes
for both parties is to seek the balance of regional and global
interests. That their own interests and other big powers' interests
in Southeast Asia are well balanced constitutes an important task
for both China and ASEAN.
In recent years, the United States, Japan, India, Russia and the
European Union, seeing the rosy vista for co-operation in the
region and China's fast growing influence there, have increased
their strategic engagement in Southeast Asia. A new situation
marked by the interaction between the interests of big powers,
which revolves around ASEAN, has thus taken shape.
Various kinds of multilateral co-operation mechanisms, which
were initiated by ASEAN after the end of the Cold War, has provided
the big powers with the platform for regular negotiations with one
another and channels for the big powers' entry into the region on
the basis of abiding by the rule of the game. This is conducive to
introducing a regional framework of development and stability. In
view of this, all the big-country players should support ASEAN in
its playing a leading role in all these mechanisms.
Based on the principles of harmony, co-operation, openness and
inclusiveness, China will continue to respect ASEAN's contributions
to the regional peace and prosperity and support ASEAN to act as a
vitally important player in the area as well as strengthen the
communication with other big countries and acknowledge each others'
interests in the region. On this basis, co-operation will be
expanded and a win-win outcome be brought about for all the
parties.
The author is a researcher with China Institute of
Contemporary International Relations.
(China Daily October 30, 2006)
