Global Times - 02.09.2019

Monday September 2, 2019 15

ASIANREVIEW

ASEAN-US drills need not raise eyebrows

Constructive measures pave way to fixing China-Philippines disputes

China and the Philippines on
Thursday announced the set-
ting up of an intergovernmen-
tal joint steering committee
and a working group among
enterprises on oil and gas coop-
eration.
As the latest progress in
both sides’ joint exploration of
oil and gas, the new bodies are
expected to promote and guide
such cooperation in the future.
This advance in maritime co-
operation comes as Beijing-
Manila ties have seen a steady
improvement over the past
three years.
Since Philippine President
Rodrigo Duterte took office in
2016, the two sides have been
maintaining effective commu-

nication on the South China

Sea issue. China has long advo-

cated the idea of pursuing joint

development while shelving

disputes, and it has become in-

creasingly popular.

The amity is hard-won.

Bilateral ties once suffered

setbacks and hit rock bottom

due to the Philippines’ unilater-

al filing of the South China Sea

arbitration case against China,

which was initiated by then

Philippine president Benigno

Aquino III. Under the guidance

of President Xi Jinping and

Duterte, the situation in the

South China Sea has stabilized

and improved. Where there is a

will, there is a way. In 2017, the

two sides re-established direct

talks for the first time in six

years to discuss security and

trade issues.

For advanced and regular

dialogue, China and the Phil-

ippines have convened meet-

ings of the bilateral consulta-

tion mechanism (BCM) on the

South China Sea issue since

May 2017. Thanks to efforts by

both sides, dark clouds over

the South China Sea issue have

been clearing. In a joint state-

ment in 2018, for example, the

two sides “reaffirm the impor-

tance of maintaining and pro-

moting regional peace and sta-

bility, freedom of navigation in

and overflight above the South

China Sea.”

Both sides “noted the sig-

nificance of the BCM as a plat-

form for pursuing measures to

increase mutual trust and con-

fidence,” said a statement after

the fourth BCM meeting this

April.

Understanding and good

faith have led to more coopera-

tion. The two close neighbors

have been actively seeking to

synergize the China-proposed

Belt and Road Initiative and

the Philippines’ “Build, Build,

Build” program, accelerating

cooperation in such areas as

infrastructure, telecommunica-

tions and energy.

China became the Philip-

pines’ largest trading partner

in 2017. Last year, Chinese in-

vestments in the Philippines

reached $930 million, mak-

ing China the Southeast Asian

country’s top foreign investor.

China-Philippines coopera-

tion over the past three years

has proved to be win-win and

mutually beneficial. Facts have

shown that any sensitive is-

sue can be properly settled as

long as relevant parties have a

will and take such constructive

measures as candid dialogue

and regular mechanisms.

This is a commentary of the

Xinhua News Agency. opinion@

globaltimes.com.cn

T

he Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN) kicks off
its first joint military drill with
the US in the Gulf of Thailand Monday.
The five-day war games are not a result
of Washington’s whims but show the
10-nation bloc’s propensity to strike a
balance between great powers.
AASEAN carried out joint military
exercises with China in Zhanjiang,
South China’s Guangdong Province, in
October 2018. By conducting another
drill with a country from outside the
region, ASEAN wants to demonstrate
that it does not rely on any single great
power, nor takes sides.
China is ASEAN’s neighbor, while
the US is a country nowhere in the
vicinity. Washington has been trying
to deepen maritime cooperation with
ASEAN by conducting the joint drill,
making the Southeast Asian grouping
as the core of US Indo-Pacific Strategy.
As the hub connecting the Pacific and
Indian Ocean, Asia and Oceania, South-
east Asia is crucial in geopolitics. Amid

the rivalry with China, the US intends

to use the drill to woo ASEAN, so as to

counterbalance China’s growing influ-

ence in the region.

But this may only be the US wishful

thinking as ASEAN has its own consid-

eration. Leaning closer to Washington

is not in line with ASEAN’s interests.

ASEAN members have traditionally

adhered to a balanced strategy between

great powers. Any attempts at break-

ing away from such strategy will not be

welcomed in Southeast Asia countries

and may affect regional stability.

Washington will further engage with

ASEAN members through providing

assistance and promoting bilateral and

multilateral cooperation. For example,

to whip up the South China Sea issue,

the US may encourage American

companies to exploit oil and gas with

ASEAN members such as Vietnam, in

the region.

Some media outlets claimed that

the reason for US-ASEAN joint naval

exercises lies in that certain members of

ASEAN which have territorial disputes

with China, such as Vietnam and the

Philippines, want to counter China’s

influence in the region.

Territorial disputes only exist

between China and certain Southeast

Asian countries, and do not include all

ASEAN members. Defending the peace

and stability of the region is a point of

interest between China and ASEAN.

Other countries, such as Myanmar and

Cambodia would not harbor the view

of countering China since they do not

have territorial disputes with Beijing.

Actually, ASEAN has maintained

solid relations with China, especially

in the economic sphere. China has

been ASEAN’s largest trading partner

for over a decade. It was reported that

bilateral trade with ASEAN members

was about $600 billion in 2018, an

increase of 14 percent from 2017.

ASEAN became China’s second-largest

trading partner in the first half of 2019,

leaving the US behind for the first time

since 1997. China and ASEAN have

also increased their cooperation in the

domain of non-traditional security in

recent years. For example, China has

implemented several joint patrols with

four riparian countries of the Mekong

River, to enhance security for shipping

along the river.

Compared with the US, China has

more advantages in advancing ties with

ASEAN in terms of geopolitics and

traditions. The history of exchanges

between China and Southeast Asian

countries has been over 2,000 years.

More cooperation between China and

ASEAN will be witnessed in trade and

economy, security and people-to-people

exchanges under the framework of the

China-proposed Belt and Road Initia-

tive.

The article was compiled by Global Times

reporter Lu Yuanzhi based on an interview

with Xu Liping, director of the Center for

Southeast Asian Studies of the Chinese

Academy of Social Sciences. opinion@

globaltimes.com.cn

Page Editor:

yujincui@

globaltimes.com.cn

Illustration: Liu Rui/GT