CHINA / Opinion
Sino-US relations vital to regional prosperity
By Eric Teo Chu Cheow (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-04-21 06:02
President Hu Jintao's United States tour was a landmark visit, with pomp
and ceremonies on the White House lawn. Hu had in fact visited Washington
earlier when he was vice-president, but this was his inaugural visit as
China's top leader.
In fact, Hu was originally supposed to have visited Washington D.C. last
October, but called off the visit because of the calamities caused by
Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and the American South. This visit came
after that of US President George W. Bush to Beijing last November, when
he also visited Kyoto, Busan (for the APEC leaders' meeting) and Ulan
Bator in Mongolia.
In Southeast Asia, ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)
countries have been watching this visit and its symbolism with profound
interest for one fundamental reason: Southeast Asian countries are
seeking regional stability in order to build their economies and
stabilize their societies as they globalize further.
A good US-China entente at the Washington summit, like during the Beijing
summit late last year, could inaugurate a further period of stability in
international and regional affairs, despite the existing bilateral issues
and irritants between Beijing and Washington, ranging from trade and
finance to intellectual property rights (IPR). It is therefore the bigger
strategic picture that is crucial to the smaller Asian countries.
The United States and China are believed to be the world's most important
and key "stakeholders" in international affairs, ranging from Iran and
the Korean peninsula to the Middle East and Africa. Bush would certainly
have discussed these issues with Hu and asked for the latter's commitment
to help maintain international stability, as China develops further. Hu
would certainly have reiterated China's "peaceful development," as it
emerges as a regional and world power.
This entente is thus essential to maintaining regional and international
peace and stability in a world that is coming to grips with
globalization, economic uncertainties, international terrorism, religious
violence and social strife. Beijing and Washington have a moral
obligation to help keep the world stable and peaceful, and their
relationship could thus be deemed the most important and critical in
world politics and economics today.
As primary international "stakeholders," the United States and China must
engage in a sound dialogue on all major world issues we are confronted
with, and the White House summit was thus perceived by ASEAN countries as
the best opportunity for China and the United States to reach a mutual
understanding on their respective perceptions of the world and the
numerous "common" international issues.
ASEAN countries, which are already discussing intensely a Free Trade Area
(FTA) with China, also known as the "10+1" agreement, had hoped that a
greater Sino-US understanding would prevent any competition or rivalry
between the two powers in Southeast Asia, which would have inconvenienced
them. It is in this same vein that ASEAN countries have already watched
with trepidation the brewing Sino-Japanese feud that has engulfed the two
Asian giants. ASEAN countries would hope never to have to choose between
two powers or two rivals as big powers usually have the tendency to seek
the loyalties of smaller countries in their own tussles; choosing camps
and sides usually puts smaller nations at full risk.
Moreover, the Western media have systematically portrayed China's
development as a "threat" and as a bitter rivalry with, and challenge to,
the United States in ASEAN. China has, on the other hand, been assuring
its smaller ASEAN neighbours of its "peaceful development" and
"harmonious world" concept. The "10+1" has in fact been reiterated by
Beijing as proof of its benevolence and benign attitude towards ASEAN, as
plans are under way to prepare for the third ASEAN-China Exposition this
coming October in Nanning of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
But the United States is facing challenges from some ASEAN countries as
it pursues its global policy (like in Iraq, the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict, Iran or the Middle East), which Muslim countries in the region
may not entirely agree with. Therein lies the fundamental challenge to
both China and the United States in Southeast Asia.
But more importantly, ASEAN seeks regional stability for its own economic
and social development, as it has always professed that it is committed
to attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) to kick off fast economic
development. Overall instability in the region would definitely be a big
blow to economic growth and FDI influx into ASEAN economies.
ASEAN countries need trade to keep their economies humming and robust (as
outward-looking economies), as they actively embrace globalization. The
1997 financial crisis was in fact more than just a financial one, as it
became an economic, social and then political crisis as well; in a way,
the major ASEAN countries have all experienced a "total crisis," when
trade almost collapsed for the regional entity.
ASEAN societies need fast economic growth (through trade and FDI) to help
muster social re-distribution across all echelons of their societies, as
they "transit" into more matured economies and societies. Following the
Chinese thesis, social stability is necessary to accompany reforms,
otherwise social uncertainties and political chaos could emerge and
compromise prescribed reforms.
A sound Sino-US entente and understanding is psychologically critical to
stabilizing the whole East Asian region as a region of peace and
stability, especially as East Asia attempts to build a regional
community. Washington's role in the region is not challenged by Beijing,
as assured repeatedly by China to the Americans and the regional
countries. Washington could even help East Asia's community-building,
even though it did not participate in the Kuala Lumpur East Asia Summit
last December.
Southeast Asians have thus hoped ardently for a good entente between
presidents Hu and Bush in Washington in order to stabilize Southeast and
East Asia, so that economic and social stability can contribute towards
regionalism in the region; the United States and China, as the world's
powers and "responsible stakeholders," could thus stabilize the
Asia-Pacific region for peaceful development and the continuous
"emergence" of ASEAN.
The author is a council member of the Singapore Institute for
International Affairs.
(China Daily 04/21/2006 page4)
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