ASEAN and China form strategic partnership<\/p>\n
Jusuf Wanandi, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A new era has dawned in East Asia. ASEAN and China have forged
\na Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity. This
\npartnership will have positive implications that go beyond the
\nrelationship between ASEAN and China. It will benefit the wider
\nEast Asian region and the world. The strategic partnership is a
\nmeans to making an effective contribution to regional and global
\npeace and prosperity.<\/p>\n
ASEAN and China will play an increasingly important role in
\nglobal affairs. They also have a growing stake in global
\ndevelopments. They are open economies and are rapidly integrating
\ninto the global economy. They want to cooperate with each other
\nso that their full integration into the global economy can
\nproceed smoothly -- for each of them and without causing major
\ndislocations within the global economy.<\/p>\n
The economies of ASEAN, and particularly China, because of its
\nsize, will assume a more prominent place in the global economy
\nwithin the next two decades. The ASEAN countries will
\ncontinuously reform, restructure and integrate their economies
\ntoward the creation of a single market and production base in
\n2020.<\/p>\n
China, on its part, is making the same effort, and is doing
\nthat at a remarkably rapid pace. ASEAN and China can benefit from
\neach other's experiments and experiences. The Framework Agreement
\nfor ASEAN-China Closer Economic Relations provides a forum for
\nsuch productive and open exchanges. They should be undertaken on
\na regular basis with the involvement of experts from academia,
\nbusiness and the policy community -- from both sides as well as
\nfrom the wider region.<\/p>\n
The transformation of the economies of ASEAN and China may be
\none of the major developments in the 21st century. Both sides
\nmust make a special effort to prevent misperceptions and
\nmisunderstandings regarding their development by the global
\ncommunity.<\/p>\n
ASEAN and China will need to participate actively in various
\nregional cooperation arrangements, the ASEAN Plus Three, the East
\nAsian Summit, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the Asia Pacific
\nEconomic Cooperation (APEC), as well as in the international
\narena -- the United Nations, the World Trade Organization and
\nother such bodies. Their increased role in regional and global
\naffairs will shape and be shaped by the emerging regional and
\nevolving international regimes.<\/p>\n
ASEAN and China can have a greater influence if they
\ncoordinate and harmonize their policies and activities. They can
\nhelp create a globalization environment that will better
\nfacilitate the pursuit for progress of all developing countries.
\nThe strategic position of ASEAN and China in those regional and
\ninternational bodies should be employed to the maximum. They
\nshould initiate and actively engage other regional and
\ninternational participants in the discussion, formulation and
\nimplementation of action plans.<\/p>\n
To be effective, ASEAN and China have to develop and nurture
\ngood relations with other powers in the region, in particular
\nJapan, the United States and India. In this context, ASEAN is in
\na favorable position, because it has excellent economic and
\npolitical relations with other regional countries, Japan, Korea,
\nIndia, Australia and New Zealand, as well as the United States
\nand the European Union.<\/p>\n
ASEAN has pursued regional cooperation and integration in
\nSoutheast Asia and, at the same time, deepened its relations with
\nall its partners. This reflects its policy of open regionalism,
\nwhich should also characterize the ASEAN-China strategic
\npartnership. In building an ASEAN Community, ASEAN governments
\nhave agreed to intensify the engagement of civil society in
\nregional community building.<\/p>\n
The strengthening of the ASEAN-China partnership also
\nnecessitates greater people-to-people interaction and
\ncooperation. The voices of the people should also be brought to
\nthe attention of governments. A second track ASEAN-China
\ncollaboration should be encouraged and facilitated by
\ngovernments, and be invited to develop ideas and make concrete
\nsuggestions to substantiate the strategic partnership.<\/p>\n
Economic, political and security issues have become
\nintertwined. Many new cross-border security issues directly
\naffect the people. Although ASEAN and China need to give
\nattention to traditional security issues, such as on the Korean
\nPeninsula, it is the new security issues that require their
\npriority attention. These include trans-border environmental
\nproblems, cross-border health issues, drug and people
\ntrafficking, smuggling and piracy.<\/p>\n
They pose a real threat to the security of the peoples in the
\nregion, but they can become sources of conflict among states.
\nThese issues form a part of the agenda of the ASEAN Regional
\nForum, and the time has come for this forum to develop mechanisms
\nfor conflict prevention beyond the confidence-building measures.
\nASEAN and China can initiate this process as both parties have
\ndeveloped a high degree of trust and confidence. Others will then
\nbe encouraged to enhance their participation in this forum.<\/p>\n
ASEAN and China are also faced with the common challenge of
\npolitical development so as to be able to sustain their longer-
\nterm economic and national developments. Their open economies
\nneed to be accompanied by a gradual opening up of political
\nsystems. Some ASEAN countries have begun this process and can
\nshare their experience with other ASEAN countries and China.<\/p>\n
Recent experience in the region has shown that nations that
\nare ill-prepared to undergo political transformation have
\nexperienced great and costly disruptions. Open exchanges on these
\nchallenges can be facilitated by the second-track. Such exchanges
\ncan make important contributions to political development in the
\ntwo parties because of the mutual trust and mutual understanding
\nthat have developed between them.<\/p>\n
ASEAN and China must not forgo this historic moment in their
\nrelationship. They have produced a variety of initiatives that
\ncan further strengthen their mutual trust and mutual
\nunderstanding. However, they must rightly focus on the strategic
\ninitiatives of working together to deepen their relations and at
\nthe same time be actively engaged to promote cooperation, peace
\nand prosperity in the wider region.<\/p>\n
The vehicles for doing so are there. They must be willing to
\nmake the investment to develop mechanisms to realize the East
\nAsian regional objectives, strengthening of trans-Pacific
\nrelations through APEC, and productive interactions with other
\nregions in the world through ASEM and FEALAC.<\/p>\n
The writer is vice chairman of the Board of Trustees and a
\nsenior fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International
\nStudies (CSIS), Jakarta.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/asean-and-china-form-strategic-partnership-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}