ORIENTAL STUDIES / SHARQSHUNOSLIK /
ВОСТОКОВЕДЕНИЕ
2017,
№
4
115
DJURAEVA GULRUKH
Researcher, University of World Economy and Diplomacy
The main directions of cooperation development of
ASEAN with China
Abstract.
This article reviews the issues of cooperation between South Eastern Asian
countries and China. Emphasizing attention on economic contribution of these countries,
and also perspectives of coloboration development. The main stress is made on analysis
of external policy of China and Asian Pasific region after “Cold War”. The key point of
research is to study diversified cooperation on the issues of safety in the region on the
platform of Association of South East Asian countries.
Keywords and expressions:
China, ASEAN, cooperation, safety, Asian Pasific region,
south East Asia, national interests.
Аннотация
.
Мақолада
Жануби
Шарқий
Осиё
мамлакатларининг
Хитой
билан
муносабатлари
кўриб
чиқилган
.
Иқтисодий
хамкорлик
ва
хамкорлик
истиқболлари
масалалари
кўтарилган
. “
Совуқ
урушдан
”
кейинги
даврда
Хитойнинг
Осиё
Тинч
океани
минтақасидаги
олиб
борган
ташқи
сиёсати
таҳлилига
урғу
берилган
.
Асо
-
сий
эьтибор
,
АСЕАН
майдони
миқёсида
хавфсизлик
муаммолари
бўйича
кўптомон
-
лама
хамкорликни
ўрганилишига
қаратилган
.
Таянч
сўз
ва
иборалар
:
Хитой
,
АСЕАН
,
хамкорлик
,
кўптомонлама
хамкорлик
,
хавфсизлик
,
товар
айланмаси
,
Осиё
Тинч
минтақаси
,
Жануби
Шарқий
Осиё
,
мил
-
лий
манфаатлар
.
Аннотация
.
В
статье
рассматриваются
вопросы
сотрудничества
стран
Юго
-
Восточной
Азии
с
Китаем
.
Акцентируется
внимание
на
экономическом
сотрудни
-
честве
стран
,
а
также
перспективах
развития
сотрудничества
.
Основной
акцент
сделан
на
анализ
внешней
политики
Китая
в
АТР
после
окончания
«
холодной
вой
-
ны
».
Ключевое
место
в
исследовании
занимает
изучение
многостороннего
взаимо
-
действия
по
проблемам
безопасности
в
регионе
на
площадке
Ассоциации
государ
-
ств
Юго
-
Восточной
Азии
(
АСЕАН
).
Опорные
слова
и
выражения
:
Китай
,
АСЕАН
,
сотрудничество
,
многостороннее
сотрудничество
,
безопасность
,
товарооборот
,
Азиатско
-
Тихоокеанский
Регион
,
Юго
-
Восточная
Азия
,
национальные
интересы
.
A feature of the PRC's relations with the countries of South-East Asia, namely the
member States of ASEAN is their volatile nature. China has always had a great
influence on the political processes in Southeastern Asia. As a result, in the last
century, all ASEAN countries, wary of his close neighbor, expressing concerns about
the potential hegemony of China. However, today the situation has changed drama-
tically, which allowed the ASEAN countries to push the past fear into the backgro-
und. As noted by Philippine expert for ASEAN, F. Ramos, "China's transition from a
centrally planned economy with a dominance of the public sector to the economy
based on the dynamics of the market in the foreseeable period seems irreversible. The
policy is defined, and national leaders focused on the sustainable growth of the
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country. For this purpose, China will need a long period of stability in South-East
Asia and the Asia Pacific region. If the Chinese conversions will continue without
serious disruptions, we, the neighbors of China should use its regional and global
structures that will soften and adjust his raw desire for great power status"
1
.
Many years of cooperation have allowed China to become the first country outside
ASEAN, which has gained the status of "strategic partner". To achieve this status in
1991, China established formal relations with ASEAN and in 1996 signed a bilateral
"Treaty on friendship and cooperation," which calls for the foreign policy coordination
and security policy. Thus, China has acquired the status of "dialogue partner" with
ASEAN. October 8, 2003 in the seventh ASEAN summit, the sides signed a Decla-
ration on strategic partnership for peace and prosperity, which was defined as "non-
aligned, non-military and open, not depriving the parties of their right to develop
comprehensive relations of friendship and cooperation with other countries"
2
. A joint
statement was seen as a first step towards incorporating Southeast Asia in East Asia
economic, political and secure community led by China.
China confidently takes the first place among the major trading partners of
ASEAN, in its’ turn, for China, ASEAN is the third largest trading partner, the fourth
export market and second for import. In 2005 mutual trade turnover between China
and ASEAN countries exceeded 100 billion US dollars. In 2006, it rose to 160,8
billion. and in 2010 increased to 292,8 billion. In 2013 the volume of trade with
ASEAN reached 443,6 billion
3
, and in 2016 increased to 472 billion
4
. By 2020, the
sides plan to increase bilateral trade to $ 1 trillion. Thus it is possible to observe that
the trade of China with ASEAN countries is growing rapidly, although this trade took
a start with a low initial level. The volume of trade between China and ASEAN
countries increased on average for 85% per year between 1999 and 2016.
On the strategic agenda of China against ASEAN has set the following regio-
nal goals:
• Maintaining political stability and security, particularly in remote areas of China;
• Maintenance and expansion of transit routes of Southeast Asia;
• Gain access to regional energy resources and raw materials;
• The development of trade relations to achieve economic and political goals;
• Isolation of Taiwan;
• The growing influence of China in the region to deter attempts at strategic
encirclement and containment
5
.
1
US May Turn Attention to Far East Terror Groups // The Guardian, October 11, 2011.
2
The 9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks
Upon the United States. 2004. http://www. gpoaccess.gov/911/pdf/fullreport.pdf
3
Совокупный
ВВП
АСЕАН
и
провинций
Южного
Китая
станет
3-
ей
экономикой
в
мире
к
2020
году
. //https://www.south-insight.com/node/1203
4
http://www.chinapro.ru/rubrics/1/14151/print
5
China’s “Charm Offensive” Loses Momentum in Southeast Asia [Part I]/ Ian Storey/ China Brief
Volume: 10 Issue: 9/ April 29, 2015
ORIENTAL STUDIES / SHARQSHUNOSLIK /
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In November 2002, ASEAN and China signed the framework agreement on
comprehensive economic cooperation to create free trade area between ASEAN
and China (ACFTA) within 10 years. In November 2004 the two sides signed the
agreement on trade in goods and a framework agreement on comprehensive eco-
nomic cooperation, which was a timetable of tariff reduction and its’ elimination
(beginning in 2005) between the two sides
1
.
1 January 2010 was officially launched free trade zone between China and
ASEAN. "The free trade area China – ASEAN is the largest FTA by population
and includes the 1.9 billion people. It is also the third FTA in terms of GDP that is
equal to 5.8 trillion dollars. And after the EU and the North American free trade
area it is the third largest economy, in terms of total trade"
2
.
The creation of a free trade Zone, due to the significant reduction of customs
duties, the government, various organizations and enterprises both sides had the
opportunity for more active cooperation. Immediately after the creation of a free
trade zone between China and ASEAN, the enterprises of both sides began to
undertake research in which they concluded that after the establishment of the
zone, the investment of Chinese enterprises has helped the development of local
economic development, and exports products to China contributed to the deve-
lopment of Chinese enterprises
3
.
The sides used the new investment Fund and
other financial resources to support projects in infrastructure construction, com-
munications, road, rail and air transport needed to promote economic and trade
cooperation. The free trade area China – ASEAN has become the new model the
establishment of such zones between developing countries different from the EU
and North American free trade agreement (NAFTA). First, it was created gradual-
ly, not immediately as the FTA North America. Secondly, despite the fact that its
members are developing countries, they strictly adhere to norms and WTO rules.
Participants in the FTA do not create trade barriers for other countries. Thirdly,
the region has a number of less developed countries, which should help more ad-
vanced, so that the cooperation was beneficial to all countries in the zone
4
. From 1
January 2010, China and six ASEAN countries have introduced a zero rate of duty
for ninety percent of exports. In China the average rate of import duties on goods
from ASEAN countries decreased to one-tenth percent instead of the former, who
made up nine and eight tenths. The creation of a free trade Zone between China
and ASEAN, January-July 2010 trade turnover between China and ASEAN coun-
tries amounted to one hundred and sixty billion dollars, one and a half times more
1
China’s Rise in Southeast Asia: implications for the United States/Elizabeth Economy/ Journal of
Contemporary China (2005), 14(44), August.
2
Pushpanathan S. The ASEAN – China Relationship // China Brief Magazine. 2010. 7 May
3
Brantly Womack, What Role China Plays for South-East Asia And ASEAN/ China-ASEAN pact
offers more than win-win / Asia Times Online/Wednesday, 6 January 2013.
4
Сергун
И
.
П
.
АСЕАН
+3:
Ключевые
позиции
сотрудничества
и
перспективы
развития
. //
Известия
Саратовского
университета
, 2011.
Т
. 11.
Сер
.
Экономика
.
Управление
.
Право
,
вып
. 2. –
С
. 30.
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than in 2009
1
. The flow of goods from ASEAN to China was more backward.
Imports to China exceeded exports from there for seven and a half billion dollars in
volume and by 13 percentage points to growth. At the same time, the volume of non-
financial investment of China in ASEAN in the first half of 2010 was two and a half
times more than in 2009. ASEAN, for its part, has attracted a significant portion of
Chinese investment. However, the governments of ASEAN members emphasize that
the creation of free trade area China-ASEAN does not mean the completion of the
process of bilateral economic integration, and is a new start for further development
of trade-economic relations between the parties and regional economic integration
2
.
Since the beginning of the 1990s and especially the 2000s, China became
increasingly involved in efforts to ensure security in South-East Asia on a multila-
teral basis. China takes part in the activities of the Regional forum of the Asso-
ciation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN Regional Forum
–
ARF) on security
since its founding in 1994. In July 1994, ARF held its first official meeting with
the participation of the partners in dialogue, consultations and observers. Initially
the forum has 18 members and later the number of members rose to 23. The orga-
nization covers virtually all of the major Asia-Pacific countries located East of
India and includes Canada, the European Union and the United States. The main
event of the ARF was meeting of Ministers of foreign Affairs. Meeting of the
intersessional support group to discuss specific issues of interest to the forum is
held annually
3
. The participation of China in this process, may have influenced his
decision to release in November 1995, the first "White paper on defense and arms
control", which was later repeatedly published.
Another important event that occurred at the meeting of the ARF in the
summer of 2002, was first presented to the Chinese delegation official document
in which the details were explained a "new security concept" of the country. The
document is directly tied the new concept of security with the work of the ARF. It
said: "the point of view of the ASEAN Regional forum, namely, to ensure security
through dialogue among equals, consistent with the idea of a new concept of
security"
4
. Another example of the increasing support of the PRC provide security
policies at the multilateral level, has become China's proposal, made at the me-
eting of the ARF in Phnom Penh (Cambodia), on the establishment of a new con-
ference on security policy with the presence of top military leaders of member
1
Создание
зоны
свободной
торговли
Китай
–
АСЕАН
–
образец
взаимовыгодного
и
взаимо
-
выигрышного
регионального
сотрудничества
. URL:http://russian. people.com.cn/95181/6857733.html
2
ASEAN – China Free Trade Area. URL: http://www.aseancn.org/Item/1097.aspx
3
Региональный
форум
АСЕАН
по
безопасности
.
Справочный
материал
МИД
Российской
Федерации
// URL: http:// www.mid.ru/
Дата
посещения
: 01/09/2017
4
Феоктистов
В
.
М
.
Новая
концепция
национальной
безопасности
Китая
как
выражение
системы
трансформирующихся
культурно
-
цивилизационных
ценностей
в
условиях
глобализации
//
https://www.portal-vostok.ru/index.php/kitaj/sovremennost/53-novaya-kontseptsiya-natsionalnoj-
bezopasnosti-kitaya-kak-vyrazhenie-sistemy-transformiruyushchikhsya-kulturno-tsivilizatsionnykh-
tsennostej-v-usloviyakh-globalizatsii
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countries of the forum. Such a conference could establish a new form of security,
where China could become a key player. In addition, this group would have a
diverse influence on the formation of "authentic Asian security architecture”
1
.
According to many researchers, the ASEAN regional forum on security issues in the
context of the need of the legal principles and mechanisms of functioning of the orga-
nization cannot remain in the future solely as an advisory and consultative unit. It along
with the subordinate structures, including with non-governmental organizations of the
second level should be the main effective organ of ASEAN, producing not only politi-
cally binding recommendations and binding decisions, in particular with respect to un-
resolved numerous territorial disputes between the member State
2
. China actively par-
ticipated in the establishment of the forum of ASEAN+3 includes 10 ASEAN countries
plus China, Japan and Republic of Korea. Meetings of the forum began in 1997. Since
1997, China, Japan and the Republic of Korea has progressed in the field of multilateral
consultations, conducting annual meetings at the highest level in the meetings of
ASEAN+3. The three countries agreed to establish a number of joint programs to pro-
vide "soft security", providing for the establishment of working groups on issues related
to environmental protection and information technology. In 1999, the participants issued
a joint statement on cooperation in East Asia, which stressed the commitment to imple-
ment the cooperation in the political, economic and social fields and issues of security.
ASEAN+3 also established a special working group – an East Asian group of
prospective analysis, prepared the report, which addressed the prospects of coope-
ration between the members of ASEAN + 3 on issues related to Economics, finan-
ces, safety, environmental protection and energy. In the field of security policy
was proposed to hold an annual summit of East Asian countries and to take me-
asures to strengthen the ARF as a more effective mechanism of cooperation on a
multilateral basis in the field of security. Meetings of ASEAN + 3 at the highest
level resulted in annual joint summits ASEAN – China, which was produced a
number of important agreements on issues of security
3
.
Given the fact that China and some ASEAN countries have disagreements on
boundaries and areas of responsibility in the South China and East China seas, the
most important result of the meeting in November 2002 summit, the ASEAN –
China was the signing of the Declaration on the conduct of parties in the South
China sea, which included the production of a code of conduct in the region. This
paper was aimed to regulate the activities of parties in various areas, reduction of
tension and possibility of conflict. The most important points of this agreement
1
China’s “Charm Offensive” Loses Momentum in Southeast Asia [Part I]/ Ian Storey/ China Brief
Volume: 10 Issue: 9/ April 29, 2015
2
Pushpanathan S. The ASEAN – China Relationship // China Brief Magazine. 2010. 7 May;
Михневич
С
.
В
.
Фактор
«
умной
силы
»
в
процессах
институционализации
международных
отношений
//
Вестник
международных
организаций
, 2015,
№
4.
3
Носов
С
.
Деятельность
Китая
по
обеспечению
безопасности
в
Азиатско
-
Тихоокеанском
регионе
.//
Зарубежное
военное
обозрение
, 2008,
№
12. –
С
. 7.
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were the obligations of the parties "to resolve their territorial disputes and disputes
regarding the jurisdiction, by peaceful means without resorting to threat or use of
force... in accordance with internationally recognized norms of international law,
including adopted in 1982, the UN Convention on the law of the sea", and "exer-
cise self-restraint in activities that could complicate or exacerbate disputes and
affect peace and stability"
1
. The Declaration was a major departure of China from
its former positions. At the same time, Beijing has insisted and continues to insist
that disputes between those who place their rights in the South China sea should
be resolved only through bilateral negotiations, and that third parties do not have
to be involved. In 2012, China and ASEAN countries signed the Declaration on
international politics in the South China sea, which also involved creating com-
mon Code of conduct for all involved States, on which work began in 2002. On
the development of the code of conduct of parties in the South China sea, in total
it took 15 years and at the meeting in mid 2017 framework draft common code of
conduct in the South China sea still have been approved
2
.
A number of other important initiatives, Beijing's cooperation on a multilateral
basis include the organization of discussions on security, including dialogue with
NATO and trilateral consultations between China, Japan and ROK. China also
contributed to the promotion of Indo-Pakistani dialogue, thus once again, China
has focused on more proactive and positive approach to solving problems in the
security sphere on a multilateral basis.
Thus, it is possible to formulate the following conclusions regarding the main
directions of cooperation of ASEAN with China:
1. China attaches great importance to ASEAN and its individual members and
considers this structure as a link in a potentially emerging poles of the multipolar
world. In official documents and statements, China has always supported the
initiatives of the ASEAN to preserve South-East Asia as a peaceful and neutral
region in which there is no dominance of any regional or extra-regional powers;
2. During the years of cooperation between ASEAN and China has developed
well-oiled mechanism for comprehensive cooperation, which consists of regular
meetings and consultations at various levels, commissions and councils on coope-
ration in various fields;
3. As China is gaining power, multilateral engagement will become a tool to fur-
ther expand its influence in the Asia Pacific region, where China's claim to a leading
role in the formation of a number of structures and mechanisms on a multilateral
basis, as well as in the development of an increasing number of agreements with the
countries of South-East Asia. In addition, China is increasingly presenting itself as a
regional leader, participating in security mechanisms on a multilateral basis.
1
http://tass.ru/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/4264544
2
КНР
и
страны
АСЕАН
одобрили
проект
Кодекса
поведения
в
Южно
-
Китайском
море
. //
https://ria.ru/world/20170806/1499839237.html
