Engaging China in regional affairs vital

Engaging China in regional affairs vital

By Jusuf Wanandi

JAKARTA (JP): Questions are again being raised whether
Southeast Asia can have a normal relationship with China, a huge,
fast developing neighbor which before colonial times had a
tributary relationship with Southeast Asia.

China is indeed fast developing, but its challenges are also
enormous. From political succession and the sustained economic
development of 1.2 billion people to a new political, economic
and ideological system to replace Marxism-Leninism. In the
meantime, China needs a stable, peaceful and cooperative
environment to modernize.

The region and the world are studying how to adjust to this
emerging great power peacefully. History has shown that
instability, tension and even war arise when emerging powers are
opposed and not given their rightful place in a new regional or
international structure and process. The crucial problem is
whether the emerging power will play according to regional and
international rules.

This is the most important test of China's future role and
behavior. Obviously China is now trying to find its place and
define its relations in the region, especially after the
isolation and upheavals from the end of the Ching dynasty until
the modernization programs of Deng Xiao-ping at the end of the
1970s. The Tiananmen affair dented the leaders' self confidence
because the unfortunate over-reaction and misjudgment of other
countries and their poor rhetoric and capriciousness didn't make
it easier for China overcome the massacre.

China's international relations is still based on the 19th
century balance of power idea and absolute sovereignty. This is
due to China's experience with colonial powers. Thus, engaging
China in regional cooperation and international relations is
vital. Southeast Asia, especially ASEAN, are in a unique position
to involve China because of their reserve of goodwill towards
China.

Questions have been raised whether the incidents in the
Spratlys and China's assertiveness have not sapped this reserve
of goodwill. Definitely not. China has responded to ASEAN's
concerns in a positive, conciliatory and cooperative spirit:

(a) China has not responded to the Philippine's actions on the
Mischief Reef with more assertive actions;

(b) China is prepared to deal with ASEAN collectively on the
issue, which China flatly refused before -- having only bilateral
dialogues in mind;

(c) China also agrees to use international law, including the
new Law of the Sea as a basis for a solution on the
counterclaims. This is a new policy which improves the chance of
resolving the different claims based on objective norms and
regulations;

(d) China agrees to more strictly define the boundaries of its
claims. So far, China has claimed the whole of the South China
Sea based on historical evidence and national law;

(e) China is willing to continue participating in the series
of workshops organized by Indonesia on the South China Sea;

(f) China is also willing to entertain comments and
discussions on the Spratlys at the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF);

(g) China has recognized the Natunas as Indonesia's and
whatever overlapping claim might arise after China defines its
territorial claim will be solved according to international law;

(h) China agrees to make its defense policies and military
strength more transparent to the region in the context of ARF and
together develop more confidence building measures such as
exchanges of officers and military academy students;

(i) China also agrees to respect the freedom of navigation
through the South China Sea and the Spratlys.

The Spratly experience shows that engaging China in regional
affairs is vital to educate China in the new thinking of regional
affairs. The existing mutual trust between China and Southeast
Asia makes this possible. Furthermore, China does respect ASEAN
as an entity that can take initiatives in the region and can
influence stability and peace without creating suspicions from
any great power.

China has agreed to deal with the Spratlys collectively and
participate in the ARF because it is ASEAN's initiative. China
now understands that ASEAN's main concerns are twofold, namely
the Spratlys and the transparency of China's defense policies and
capabilities. China will respond to both positively to gain the
trust of ASEAN and the region.

ASEAN has always recognized China as a great power and a
leader in the region. It recognizes China's vital interests, such
as sovereignty over Taiwan and its own domestic affairs, because
no one will be able to solve them for the Chinese.

What is also important for ASEAN is to get China involved in
regional institutions, such as APEC and the ARF.

The objective is to foster smaller neighbors' confidence of
China and to encourage China to make cooperative policies in the
region. By involving the United States, Russia and Japan in this
cooperative regionalism, it is hoped that the region will be able
to maintain peace, stability and cooperation. At the same time
this will help prevent or resolve conflicts.

China is expected to fulfill its promises, because China knows
that the two main concerns of ASEAN -- the Spratlys and military
transparency -- are a litmus test for future positive and
cooperative relations with ASEAN. And since ASEAN is a critical
interlocutor for China, especially among other great powers, its
trust and confidence towards China is crucial for their
appreciation of China's intentions and policies in the region.

What if China doesn't want to play a positive rule in the
region, and isn't willing to abide by the rules? This speculation
is minute because China needs positive relations in the region to
survive as much as the region needs a responsible China to help
lead the region.

To make it happen, the region must make the necessary policies
to deal with China. ASEAN proved it is able to rally regional and
international forces when it organized special measures against
Vietnam's invasion of Cambodia in 1979.

Fostering regional norms and policies through institutions in
which China is a member, as well as creating the mechanisms to
deal with violating countries, hopefully will prevent a single
power dominating the region.

The writer is Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Centre
for Strategic and International Studies.

Window: China now understands that ASEAN's main concerns are twofold,
namely the Spratlys and the transparency of China's defense
policies and capabilities.