THE EFFECTS OF THE RISE OF CHINA TO SOUTH-EAST ASIA COUNTRIES.
Napoleon once said, “China is a sleeping giant. Let her lie and sleep, for when she awakens she will astonish the world”. Previously, Japan will always be the highlight when people mention Asia, a country with high-quality technology, rich with beautiful culture and a disciplined citizen. At the turn of the twentieth-first century, the world witnessed a shift of the center of political and economic power from the United States of America to China. China is the fastest growing economy in the world, with what may be the fastest growing military budget. It has nuclear weapons, border disputes with most of its neighbors, and a rapidly improving army. The rise of China might have been perceived as a threat especially to the other one hegemonic state, the United States, but it does not measure or represent the whole world response. Surprisingly, some scholars have claimed that the most affected area in the world by the rise of China, Southeast Asia, is friendly and receptive towards China’s rise.
The response of South-East Asia countries have always been the question mark for other countries, it is because of the history of relationship between China and countries in Southeast Asia, especially when China was the biggest supporter of communist groups in 1960. However, China has managed to re-establish its relationship with Southeast Asia countries since the end of the Cold War and 1989 Tiananmen Square incident. China has implemented a policy orientation that aims to strengthen Regional relations so as to be surrounded by benevolent states. The new impression given by China has led to the parallel orientation for ASEAN too.
Security issues
This issue originally came from the issue of the South China Sea. With regard to the dispute of this controversial sea, every party and country involved encourages a peaceful international environment and discourages the use of violence. The issue about the credibility of China to be consistent with its commitment of self-restraint has been the most popular question in The 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DoC). There are few factors that make Southeast Asians are in the state of fear looking at China’s expansionism. Firstly, it is because China has become a hegemonic state, and one of the international powers, secondly, it is because of the development of China’s military. The statement made by China is undeniably interesting where it states that they do not want to bring or discuss the dispute over South China Sea on the ASEAN level, let them settle or work on the solution of the dispute with the individual claimant countries.
This is because of the role of ASEAN or International Organization in general, nothing more than promoting mutual peace, and agreement using a non-violent way. According to China’s ambassador to ASEAN, ASEAN could be a facilitator to promote mutual trust, but it should not make itself a party to the dispute since it is definitely not the best way in finding a solution. 8The statement is totally a relief for other Southeast Asian countries, when it tells us that China is not going to bring any harm, instead they want it to be settled peacefully. However, ASEAN countries have so far brought different views of China, which complicates ASEAN’s common stand towards it.
Economic issues
It is undoubtedly true that China’s economic growth has been one of the elements that has been taken as a threat for Southeast Asia countries. As is known by everyone, having a stable economy is always a tacit opportunity or chance to have power over other countries. However, the doubt and feelings of fear towards China has ended since the establishment of the ASEAN–
China Free-Trade Area (ACFTA), which came into force on 1 January 2010, this is the initiative proposed by China to enhance every party’s economic growth after the Asian Financial Crisis. The ACFTA serves important political goals, especially in terms of confidence-building when China offers ASEAN countries an ‘early harvest package’ this is to prioritize ASEAN countries to have access to China’s market before other World Trade Organization (WTO) countries.
After years of enjoying and believing in the benefits of ASEAN–China Free-Trade Area (ACFTA), the fear of China’s credibility is again coming from the Southeast Asia countries. China’s action to participate in the World Trade Organization (WTO) has been the trigger point which can redirect the foreign direct investment towards China. Another two concerns were about if their market will be filled with China’s cheap products and unable to access the low-tariff to major export markets. However, it is also important to note that China’s economic growth can drive Southeast Asia economies too as it has become the engine that drives Southeast Asia countries back then when they were suffering with financial crisis, especially when China has a high local and foreign investment and also its developed tourism sector.
Normative issues
The influence and interference of Western Hegemony like European Union (EU) and United States (US) in ASEAN has been the real factor of why Southeast Asia countries always have doubt in China, advantage for them because they exist earlier than China. The western hegemony knows that they have the trust of the countries all over the world, therefore, they can make use of it for their own interest. They are the ones who perceive China as a threat, because their status will be triggered by the existence of China politically, economically or militarily. One clear example to show their interference in ASEAN’s atmosphere is during Tiananmen Square. The United States and European Union brought pressure on ASEAN to take more strict strategies to avoid China’s interference in pressuring Burma to withdraw from 1997 ASEM. China is unable to do anything other than supporting and agreeing upon ASEAN’s principle non-interference. However, surely there are so many Southeast Asia countries that hope China can play its role as one of the international major powers.
Interestingly, China came out with its five principles of peaceful coexistence, which were drafted by Zhou Enlai in 1955, China and ASEAN share kind of similar principles and attitudes especially in democracy and human rights that help them to be united.15 Other than sharing the same principles and values, they also share strategic preferences. ASEAN and China strive for a multi-polar world that lives without the influence of Western hegemony, while embracing regional stability. Cooperation between China and ASEAN, contributed hugely to ASEAN’s success in winning China’s approval for, and commitment to, its regional efforts.
All in all, by looking at these 3 main controversial points of ASEAN-China relationship, it is something surprising when many scholars said that ASEAN is friendly and receptive towards the rise of China. However, there are two main concerns about ASEAN-China relationship in the long-term run, ACFTA seems to be promoting the strategic interest of China, it is quite worrying when there are no other great powers in Southeast Asia particularly. Therefore, to have and encourage more great powers in Southeast Asia has been one of the plans of ASEAN, which helps to create a balance of power. Secondly, regarding the support of China towards ASEAN, we cannot deny the fact that China has helped ASEAN to stand confidently as the regional role through its diplomatic support. It is natural and common to just say that “people will support us if we show our support to them too”. It can be concluded that the support of China towards ASEAN will remain strong if ASEAN shows the same energy to them too.
