By Zhai Kun

Over the past 15 years since the end of the Cold War, China's fast growth, ASEAN's (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) increased strength and the accelerating development of the China-ASEAN ties are the three salient features of the revival of Asia as a whole on the world stage.

It is in this scenario that "the Commemorative Summit Marking the 15th Anniversary of the ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations" is slated to open today in Nanning, capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The summit will take stock of the China-ASEAN co-operation that has worked in the past 15 years to yield such rich fruits and also chart course for the China-ASEAN relations to go in the next 15 years.

At this moment of importance, the two parties are supposed to introduce a "new concept of time and space" to facilitate the progress of the China-ASEAN ties in the future. By the "new concept of time," it is meant that the two parties better tune the rhythm at which the relations move ahead.

The upcoming 15 years are of strategic importance to both sides, taking into account that the ASEAN is currently working towards the ASEAN Community by 2020 and China is embarking on the road of peaceful development.

The past 15 years have witnessed the "triple jump" of China-ASEAN relations, which have been through three stages: establishment of a comprehensive dialogue framework, good-neighborliness and mutual trust partnership towards 21st century and strategic partnership for peace and prosperity.

The next 15 years will mark a new phase of China-ASEAN strategic partnership, which will go ahead in a steadier and healthier way and enjoy more security.

It is of paramount importance to make sure that the bilateral ties develop at harmoniously paced rhythms. Progress in various fields must be pushed ahead at varying tempos.

For example, in the fields of politics, economics, society, culture and non-traditional security, in which the co-operations of the two parties are relatively ripe, the current pace of co-operation can be maintained or accelerated so that the co-operative basis is further consolidated.

With regard to the ideas of East Asia regional co-operation and nurturing shared regional conceptions, which call for caution and careful probing, the co-operation may proceed at a moderate pace, neither too fast nor too slow.

In the areas involving sensitive matters, such as traditional security, however, patience is called for so that conditions for co-operation in these areas will get ripe gradually in good time, much in the fashion of following the natural flow.

The "new concept of space" refers to orchestrating the co-operation and exchanges at various levels and on different platforms.

Over the years, six exchange platforms at different levels have crystallized.

The first is the traditional exchanges and co-operation between the Chinese provinces, which border on or are close to the Southeast Asian region and ASEAN member countries. These involve Yunnan, Hainan, Fujian and Guangdong provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on the Chinese side.

Sub-regional co-operation falls under the second category and means the co-operation between one or a group of Chinese provinces on the one side and several ASEAN member countries on the other.

China's Yunnan Province, for example, has got involved in the Great Mekong River Sub-regional economic co-operation and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region is launching a Pan Beibu Gulf Economic Zone.

The third type refers to the bilateral relations between China and the 10 ASEAN member countries, representing the basic and typical ties.

The fourth type is the well-organized exchanges and communications between China and ASEAN, which find expression in the annual China-ASEAN Summit, the dialogue and co-operative mechanisms at various levels, crystallization of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area and functional co-operation and annual China-ASEAN Expo as well.

The fifth refers to China-ASEAN co-operation within the scope of East Asia such as the ASEAN Plus Three (China, Japan and the Republic of Korea) co-operation and the East Asia Summit.

The co-operation between China and ASEAN in the international forum falls under the sixth category, involving China-ASEAN interaction in Asia-Pacific, Asia-Europe, Asia-Africa and Asia-Latin America geo-political and economic scenarios. It also includes China-ASEAN orchestrated actions inside international organizations, with the United Nations as the most important one.

This kind of compound multi-level co-operation necessarily multiplies the complexity and difficulties in formulating relevant policies and implementing them.

The key to resolving the problem lies in that China takes into consideration the balance between the local, national, regional and global interests when mapping out and implementing its Southeast Asia policies.

In the past 15 years since China-ASEAN relations started, the orchestration of different types of interests has gradually moved into good shape. The most prominent illustration is that China not only respects the sovereignty of ASEAN member countries but also takes into account the feelings of them while treating them at a comfortable level and supports ASEAN's leading role in the East Asian co-operation.

In the next 15 years, the key to bringing about win-win outcomes for both parties is to seek the balance of regional and global interests. That their own interests and other big powers' interests in Southeast Asia are well balanced constitutes an important task for both China and ASEAN.

In recent years, the United States, Japan, India, Russia and the European Union, seeing the rosy vista for co-operation in the region and China's fast growing influence there, have increased their strategic engagement in Southeast Asia. A new situation marked by the interaction between the interests of big powers, which revolves around ASEAN, has thus taken shape.

Various kinds of multilateral co-operation mechanisms, which were initiated by ASEAN after the end of the Cold War, has provided the big powers with the platform for regular negotiations with one another and channels for the big powers' entry into the region on the basis of abiding by the rule of the game. This is conducive to introducing a regional framework of development and stability. In view of this, all the big-country players should support ASEAN in its playing a leading role in all these mechanisms.

Based on the principles of harmony, co-operation, openness and inclusiveness, China will continue to respect ASEAN's contributions to the regional peace and prosperity and support ASEAN to act as a vitally important player in the area as well as strengthen the communication with other big countries and acknowledge each others' interests in the region. On this basis, co-operation will be expanded and a win-win outcome be brought about for all the parties.

The author is a researcher with China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.

(China Daily October 30, 2006)