China-ASEAN Relations Essay -- Foreign Policy

Despite its traditional mistrust of security regimes, chinaware became peerless of the founding members of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in 1994 the first region-wide multilateral discussion of peace and security issues in Asia-Pacific. Besides, Beijing established forces links with Tailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Malaysia. This extends non only to military aid and loans, bilateral talks on military issues, and signing of defense memoranda of understanding, but also includes joint production of military equipment and joint training exercises. During the 12th Foreign Ministers Meeting of the ARF in 2005, Chinese Ambassador Liu Yongxing stated that deepening mutual trust, respecting diversity, handling relations with other institutions properly, maintaining vigor of the Forum and achieving continuous development should be the main goals of ARF looking forward. In 2006, China also signed the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), in which China promised not to threaten the security of other signatory states (ASEAN), to express Chinas intention of establishing a strategic partnership with ASEAN for peace and prosperity. China is also instinctive to support ASEANs declaration of Southeast Asia as a nuclear weapons-free zone. With continuing norm convergence and growing trust, ASEAN may be persuaded that the regions strategic future could be codetermined with China. The China-ASEAN strategic relationship, however, is not always a bed of roses. There remain serious issues between China and Southeast Asia which affected their relationship in the 1990s and will continue to complicate their relationship. The most prominent of all is the South China Sea dispute. Beijing has maintained that it has f... ... Shishi chubanshe, 2003). ASEAN-China talks Relations. David Arase, Non-Traditional Security in China-ASEAN Cooperation The Institutionalization of Regional Security Cooperation and the Evolution of East Asian Regiona lism, Asian Survey, Vol. 50, No. 4 (July/August 2010) (pp. 808-833), http//www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/as.2010.50.4.808, accessed March twenty-second, 2012. Chinas Foreign Affairs 2006 published by the Department of Policy Planning, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PRC (World Affairs Press, 2006), p.413-416. Vietnam Better Defense Cooperation to Help Build ASEAN Community, Thai Press Reports, (April 30th 2010). Chinas National Defense in 2008, Information Office of the State Council of the Peoples Republic of China, (Beijing, January 20th 2009) http//www.china.org.cn/government/whitepaper/node_7060059.htm, accessed March 22nd 2012.