U.S.-Vietnamese ties good for ASEAN<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The United States' decision to normalize
\ndiplomatic relations with Vietnam bodes well for Indonesia and
\nother countries in Southeast Asia, officials and international
\nrelations experts said yesterday.<\/p>\n
The experts, Juwono Sudarsono and Dewi Fortuna Anwar, see the
\nrestoration of ties, announced in Washington on Tuesday, as
\nhelping to redress the imbalance of power that exists between
\nSoutheast Asian nations on the one hand, and China on the other.<\/p>\n
They said that the normalization would bolster the strength of
\nthe Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the
\nstrategic equation against China, which is increasingly perceived
\nas a threat to the region.<\/p>\n
Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas also welcomed the news,
\nalthough he expressed it more in diplomatic terms.<\/p>\n
"This is a very welcome development," Alatas told a group of
\nforeign correspondents based in Jakarta yesterday.<\/p>\n
"Indonesia has always stated its view in the past that
\nnormalization of relations between the United States and Vietnam
\nwould contribute positively to developments in this part of the
\nworld," Alatas was reported by Reuters as saying.<\/p>\n
Vietnam is scheduled to formally join Brunei, Indonesia,
\nMalaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand as the seventh
\nmember of ASEAN later this month.<\/p>\n
Dewi told The Jakarta Post that the resumption of relations
\nbetween Washington and Hanoi would inevitably have a strategic
\neffect on the region and, in particular, on relations with China.<\/p>\n
"It certainly would account for a new important strategic
\nbalance," said the National Institute of Science's international
\nrelations expert.<\/p>\n
Juwono, vice governor of the National Resilience Institute,
\nconcurred on the implications of Washington's moves as fortifying
\nASEAN's position with China.<\/p>\n
The move would help to "not contain, but off-set" China's
\ngrowing military threat, Juwono said.<\/p>\n
Juwono however stressed that China has a rightful role to play
\nin the region, describing its status as a "non-status quo" power.<\/p>\n
Apart from Vietnam, three ASEAN states are entangled in a
\npotentially explosive territorial dispute with China over the
\nSpratly Islands in the South China Sea.<\/p>\n
The issue heated up earlier this year when Manila and Beijing
\nflexed their military muscles over one of the disputed islands
\ncausing a near stand-off.<\/p>\n
Vietnam has a rather antagonistic history with China, with
\nseveral cross-border armed conflicts in the late 1970s.<\/p>\n
The normalization of relations has enabled Vietnam to gain the
\nupper-hand with China by effectively creating a security
\numbrella.<\/p>\n
As Dewi pointed out: "It would not be that easy to push
\nVietnam around anymore. It will not be that easy to `teach
\nVietnam a lesson'" referring to the phrase Beijing often used in
\njustifying the border attacks against Vietnam.<\/p>\n
Political weight<\/p>\n
As a consequence, the ASEAN countries will increase their own
\npolitical weight by having an equally political powerful ally
\nvis-a vis China, Dewi said.<\/p>\n
"ASEAN is of course very happy that Vietnam is a member of
\nASEAN. In the whole of southeast Asia, Vietnam is the only
\ncountry that has successfully shown that it is able to bloody
\nChina's nose," Dewi said, referring to the Chinese invasion in
\nwhich the weaker Vietnamese forces were able to inflict severe
\ncasualties on China.<\/p>\n
"It will certainly strengthen ASEAN in that respect. Not
\nnecessarily more confrontational with China, but at least show
\nour deterrence capability," she added.<\/p>\n
When asked whether Vietnam's entry into ASEAN had any bearing
\non Washington's decision to normalize ties, Dewi expressed her
\nbelief that it might have helped smoothen the process.<\/p>\n
"I think the fact that Vietnam is becoming a member of ASEAN also
\ntilts the balance. It makes it that much easier for the United
\nStates to normalize relations with Vietnam," she explained.<\/p>\n
Politically it also seems more desirable for Hanoi, as a
\nmember of ASEAN, to have ties with a superpower whom all the
\nother ASEAN states maintain amiable relations with.<\/p>\n
"It would be extremely difficult if Vietnam does not have
\nrelations with the United States. How would Vietnam manage during
\nthe dialog relationship if it doesn't have representation in
\nWashington?" Dewi said referring to the various dialog forums
\nASEAN has established with Washington, including the new ASEAN
\nRegional Forum.<\/p>\n
The forum conducts regional security discussion between ASEAN
\nmembers and its dialog partners which includes both China and the
\nUnited States.<\/p>\n
The coming forum in August is expected to be the first test on
\nthe impact of the normalization of ties between Hanoi and
\nWashington. (mds)<\/p>",
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