A good one is ‘not to be traded for gold’
In power politics, no one can afford permanent foes. And China is no exception to this rule.
In the new war of economic interests, as America with its allies is trying to pit Asian countries against each other, the Chinese leadership has adopted a path to frustrate this policy.
Beijing is cautiously pursuing a diplomatic response to the moves, adopting a ‘good neighbourly policy’ for regional peace and sharing the trickledown fruit of development with the countries of the region.
And China’s policy seems successful so far. Being at the heart of the most diversified region, rich reserves of minerals, oceans, mountains and deserts, it has taken a giant leap forward in development in recent decades. Its growth and the booming economy is a source of concern for the rest of the developed world, which feels threatened by the rise of the Asian power. So their time-tested policy – divide and rule – goes into a tailspin trying to check the Chinese flight.
With a resolve and vision to brave all these challenges, Chinese leaders have been engaged in hectic visits to countries of the region and the rest of the world to counter the challenges the fastest growing economy is faced with.
The nucleus of China’s proactive diplomacy has been to engage all its neighbours for developing a bond with them aimed at creating an increasingly secure, peaceful and stable environment for the common development of countries in the region, including China itself.
Interactions with Chinese diplomats reveal that President Xi hopes that during the year 2015, China would be able to further bolster ties with its neighbours.
“Building confidence removes fears and defuses tensions, which is the core interest of China. We want these countries to jointly reinforce peace and prosperity in the region as a whole,” a diplomat says.
During the last year, the Chinese leaders visited countries from central to Southeast Asia in a bid to reassure its immediate and secondary neighbours that Beijing wanted to share its development with them in pursuit of turning Asia pacific into the most modern and developed region of the world.
In Northeast Asia, ice-melting has started between foes – thanks to the successful diplomacy which has broken the frosty relations between China and its rival states.
Interactions with Chinese diplomats reveal that President Xi hopes that during the year 2015, China would be able to further bolster ties with its neighbours
It seems that the diplomatic engagements are yielding much desired results. Relations with archrival Japan have always been a concern for Beijing due to historical and current political conflicts. Though Japan has been alienated in the region due to its militarist crimes, conducted in China and South Korea during the World War-II, there has been no will to repair its image. Moreover, Tokyo’s aggressive moves on the Diaoyu Islands have further frozen its ties with China.
In 2014, hopes were rekindled for a thaw when the leaders of China and Japan met but the same were frustrated soon due to failure of Tokyo to break the logjam. Optimism was renewed for a breakthrough in the icy China-Japan relations in November as the two sides reached a four-point consensus and reaffirmed willingness to advance ties during the landmark summit in Beijing.
China has also termed the year of 2015 ‘crucial for China-Japan relations’. Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Jianchao said last week that China and Japan should push for improvement of bilateral relations by continuous steps forward and gradually putting relations back on an ‘even keel’.
Liu said over the past year China and Japan have conducted a few rounds of diplomatic consultations on the issues of East China Sea and the Diaoyu Islands. He said in 2015, China is ready to work with Japan to continue negotiations on sea issues on the basis of equality and mutual respect. Since China is willing to work with Japan to gradually set up a mechanism on controlling sea and air situations, besides expanding sea cooperation, Japan needs to respond to the offer positively.
The two sides should proceed with a long-term vision to maintain and implement the four-point agreement and on this basis, properly handle such major sensitive issues as history and territories.
In the political and economic interest of both the countries as well as for a more peaceful Asia, Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo may take lead by putting his promises into practice by cooperating with President Xi. This, however, is impossible without reining in the rightist forces in Japan.
In contrast to the frosty China-Japan relationship, ties between China and South Korea have witnessed a fast track reprieve following Xi’s trip to Seoul in July last year. Both countries have sour memories of devastation and destruction during World War-II, but it is a positive sign that their leaders yearn for peace and development.
The leaders of the two states also have the resolve to make joint efforts for a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. This is evident of the fact that the two countries made considerable development in their two-and-half-year negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement in November last year, which is expected to take effect in 2015.
China is banking on Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for furthering its ties in the South Asia region
In the perspective of Southeast Asia, the vision of Chinese diplomats over the past decade has been instrumental in cementing relations of the economic giant with around a dozen small yet highly diversified nations.
China is banking on Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for furthering its ties in the South Asia region. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang recently vowed to upgrade Beijing’s partnership with its South Asia neighbours in the upcoming “diamond decade”, following a fruitful “golden decade”.
Year 2014 was also observed by China as the China-ASEAN Cultural Exchange Year. Last December, a ceremony was held to close the year in Myanmar’s capital of Nay Pyi Taw, demonstrating to the world that China and ASEAN have made rich achievements in cultural exchange and cooperation.
Though territorial disputes between China and some Southeast Asian countries have emerged occasionally to trouble China’s relations with ASEAN as a whole, yet there is a desire to resolve these in bilateral settings.
Chinese officials say that for Southeast Asian nations the year of 2015 is promising as the envisioned ASEAN Economic Community, which will bring the bloc one step further in its integration process, is ‘set to be finalised soon’.
Though India plans to dictate terms in ASEAN, there has been a consensus that as the most prominent regional grouping in Southeast Asia, it should not be kidnapped by ‘any single country’ to serve its own purpose and put the interest of the whole bloc at stake.
Another good sign is the improvement in the China-Vietnam relationship following Beijing’s top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng visit to the country last month. The two sides agreed to mutually settle their maritime disputes and control their differences through dialogue.
As far as the Philippines is concerned, it’s unilateral demand for international arbitration over its territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea looks to be a hasty bid to internationalise a bilateral dispute. It has rather further complicated the issue, destroying its ties with China.
What Manila needs to learn is to change its course of action with regard to its disputes with Beijing and return as soon as possible to the right track of bilateral negotiations with a greater degree of sincerity, instead of playing the trick of yearning for an international lawsuit.
There is no doubt that the extraordinary size of China, both geographically and economically, gives restless nights to its next-door neighbours. However, there is no need for worry as rather than pursuing any hegemonic designs, Beijing has been practicing a policy of co-existence with countries in the region. Just as an old Chinese saying goes, ‘a good neighbour is not to be traded for gold’. China seems to be following the same philosophy.