By Zhu Hao

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Actively Promoting Sound China-U.S. Interactions in Southeast Asia

By Zhu Hao

Associate Research Fellow China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations

Recent years have seen increasing mutual suspicions between China and the United States in Southeast Asia. On the one hand, the United States has been increasingly worried and alarmed by China’s accelerated rise, esp. its growing influence in Southeast Asia. An important reflection of the worry and alarm could be seen in the repeated tough remarks by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Burns on issues related to the South China Sea recently and his high-profile support for the Philippines to submit the South China Sea-related dispute to international arbitration. On the other hand, China is also worried that changed U.S. policies concerning Southeast Asia might lead to strategic misjudgment by some countries, which might develop a speculation mentality, or even venture more aggressive and risky policies to challenge China’s policy bottom line. So generally speaking, the strategic mutual suspicion and competition between China and the United States has become an important factor affecting China-U.S. relations.

However, the strategic suspicion and competition between China and the United States in Southeast Asia cannot fundamentally constrain the development of bilateral relations. Cooperation remains the main stream of China-U.S. relations, and the two sides can jointly deal with problems and challenges in bilateral relations with a relatively positive attitude. Given that each time strategic mutual suspicion appeared in some aspects between the two countries, new progress would follow in bilateral relations, we may well take our mutual suspicions in Southeast Asia as a pre-warning signal and an important driving force for improving and propelling bilateral relations. For the time being, China and the United States should promote sound interaction in Southeast Asia to defuse strategic mutual suspicions:

First of all, we can regard sound interactions between the two sides in Southeast Asia as an experimenting and pioneering effort in the building of a new type of major-country relations between China and the United States. Both countries have extremely important political, economic and security interests in Southeast Asia, and are willing and responsible to maintain long-term peace, stability, and development in the region. Despite many differences in perception and ideas, China and the United States share the consensus of maintaining stability. At the same time, sound interactions between the two sides can help effectively contain speculations by some countries to use China to balance American influence or use the United States to balance China’s influence. It is imperative that China and the United States increase strategic mutual trust to prevent us from being used by other countries and from plunging into unnecessary disputes, otherwise, only to the satisfaction of those countries. Therefore, whether China and the United States can realize sound interactions in Southeast Asia has direct and important demonstration effect on neighboring countries like Japan, India, Russia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Second, we should translate common interests into cooperation and joint action. The precondition and foundation for China and the United States to have sound interactions in Southeast Asia is to expand our common interests. They have common interests in helping the development of Southeast Asian nations, increasing mutual trust between countries in the region and in dealing with non-traditional threats like pirating and regional hazards, hence the need for the two sides to step up candid communication. China and the United States should expand the area and scope for maritime security negotiations, further consider improving the mechanisms of maritime crisis prevention, information sharing and joint cooperation so as to prevent the occurrence of incidents like the aircraft collision on the South China Sea and to prevent crisis from undermining long-term and fundamental interests, and continue in the direction of jointly building regional cooperation mechanisms and norms on regional issues.

Finally, the two sides should properly handle issues in bilateral relations. To promote sound interactions between the two countries in Southeast Asia does not mean ignoring existential problems. On the contrary, sound interactions in the region should be based on objectively and rationally dealing with various differences and contradictions in bilateral relations. The behavior of each party should not undermine the interests of the other. We must take substantive measures to match our words with our deeds. Only in this way can we enhance strategic mutual trust in the region. On the issue of the South China Sea, for example, the two sides could explore the possibility and viability of establishing maritime security mechanisms; China could consider giving clear commitment to recognizing America’s right to international navigation; The United States, on its part, should be clearly committed to maintaining neutrality on China-related maritime disputes, instead of helping other claimants politically, diplomatically or militarily, let alone direct and open intervention. In recent years, China has reiterated on many occasions that China respects America’s legitimate interests in Asia-Pacific and welcomes a U.S. more constructive role in the region. With an equally broad mind, the United States should also proceed from maintaining peace, stability and development of the region and properly handle interests and concerns of the two sides in the South China Sea.