New developments in China’s relationship with its Surrounding Countries

ZHOU FANGYIN

CHINA is one of the countries in the world with the most neighbors. Its 9.6 million sq km land area encompasses land borders with Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tadzhikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and North Korea, totaling 22,000 km in length. Chinas mainland coastline extends more than 18,000 km, bordering and overlapping the territorial waters of Japan, South Korea, the Philip- pines, Indonesia, Brunei, and Malaysia. China also maintains close relations with countries not on its immediate borders, such as Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore and Bangladesh.

The countries surrounding China refer to those in Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia and Central Asia that neighbor it either on land or on its territorial sea. They also include those adjacent, although not on its borders, with whom China has a close relationship.

Diverse Neighbors, Significant Relations

The total area of China and its surrounding countries amounts to 30 million sq km, accounting for nearly half of the Eurasian Continent. These countries have contrasting national conditions with regards to size of territory and extent of development. They include capitalist and socialist states, as well as those in the throes of political and economic transformation. All display enormous differences in language and culture.

Since the 1980s, these surrounding countries have played a growingly important role in Chinas diplomacy. During the early 1990s, relations with them were just one facet of those among China and other nations. It was in 1997 at the 15th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) that China accorded full significance to “a good surrounding environment” in bringing about a peaceful international environment. At the 16th National Congress of the CPC in 2002, China confirmed the primacy of relations with its surrounding countries. It moreover raised the policy of “building friendship and partnership with neighboring countries,” and formulated the guiding principles wherein relations with great powers are key; those with the immediate periphery all-important; those with developing countries constitute the foundation; and multilateral relations are main arenas. The huge variations in national conditions of Chinas surrounding countries make its relations with them crucial to the countrys diplomacy.

Relations between China and countries in its vicinity are generally good. China makes efforts to link its interests with theirs, treating them as friends and partners with whom to cooperate in advancing common development. Since the beginning of the 1990s, China has established diverse partnerships with Russia, Japan, India, Pakistan, Korea, Mongolia, Nepal and certain groups of states that signify its intent to improve and develop relations with them. As none of these countries is hostile towards China, such partnerships reinforce and stabilize Chinas immediate security situation.

There is consensus in the international community that certain prickly issues exist in East Asia, among them that of the Taiwan Strait, the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, disputes in the South China Sea and to some extent also in the East China Sea. They have existed around Chinas mainland since the end of the Cold War, and have been kept under control for more than two decades. Owing mainly to Chinas restraint and efforts over the years, they have not developed into largescale conflicts.

Growing economic and Trade Relations

Fast developing economic and trade ties highlight Chinas relations with its surrounding countries. In 2011, ASEAN, Japan, South Korea and Russia ranked among Chinas top 10 trading partners, and India the 11th.Trade between China and Japan, South Korea and ASEAN countries has displayed the most spectacular growth. In 2011, that between China and Japan reached US $350 billion, as compared to just US $1 billion in 1972. Bilateral trade between China and South Korea also soared from US $5 billion in 1992, when the two countries established diplomatic relations, to US $213.9 billion in 2011. China is now South Koreas largest trading partner, export market and source of imports. Upon establishment of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area in 1991, China-ASEAN bilateral trade volume stood at just US $8.4 billion. Two decades later, trade volume between them has multiplied to US $362.9 billion, surpassing that with Japan to make ASEAN Chinas third largest trading partner.

China is at the same time the biggest trading partner of Japan, India, Russia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Myanmar and Mongolia. The countrys investment in its surrounding countries and regions continues to expand.

Since the launch of the reform and opening-up policy in 1978, and especially since the new millennium, China has witnessed remarkable development in trade relations with its surrounding countries. These extraordinary achievements, attributable to a good neighborly policy, would not be possible but for Chinas willingness to cooperate, its sustained efforts at governmental and non-governmental levels, and diplomatic commitment to regional peace, stability and prosperity.

Apart from economic ties, China also maintains ever-growing exchanges and communications with the peoples of its nearby countries. There are more than 830 flights on 47 regular passenger air routes, as well as 47 flights on 10 regular cargo routes each week between main cities in China and South Korea. In 2010, 5.96 million people traveled between the two countries, which have 130 sister cities and provinces. At the end of 2010 around 65,000 South Korean students were studying in China, while 75,000 students from China were at South Korean universities – the highest numbers in both countries of overseas students.

Many of these achievements have been made amid unfavorable conditions. Take China-India relations as an example. Bilateral trade between the two countries in 2010 reached US $61.7 billion – 43 percent higher than the previous year – and surpassed US $70 billion in 2011, when China maintained its status as Indias biggest trading partner. Exaggerated international observations nonetheless abound of contradictions and strategic confrontations between China and India. Whatever their intent, these opinions have failed either to hamper or impede development of Sino-Indian economic and trade relations.

Regardless of certain comments on bilateral relations, China has real and enduring economic ties with its surrounding countries that have direct bearing on the immediate interests of their peoples. These healthy trade relations are integral to maintaining stability in the region and the external environment necessary for Chinas peaceful development. They are indeed vital to the fundamental interests and needs of all peoples in the region.

Problems and Challenges

Although China generally maintains good relations with its surrounding coun- tries, it also faces problems and challenges in this respect. For instance, the U.S. is shifting its global strategy eastward, placing greater emphasis on the AsiaPacific region. This is evident in policies strengthening military connections with East Asian countries, more frequent joint military drills in areas around China, and deployment of U.S. military forces in Australia. These measures have aggravated tension and uncertainty in East Asia. The U.S. has also intervened in the South China Sea issue, conflicts arising from which have strained relations between China and certain Southeast Asian nations. Moreover, the U.S.s promotion of negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement has had unfavorable impact on economic cooperation in the region.

This by no means signifies any fundamental changes in Chinas vicinity. The problems appear under a backdrop wherein the relationship between China and the rest of the world is closer than ever before. They signify that relations with surrounding countries have a solid economic base, but less so in the fields of culture and politics. Such disparities have caused certain imbalances in the development of bilateral relations. Chinas growing influence has been a source of worry to some of its surrounding countries, to the extent that they have turned to other big powers in efforts to balance Chinas sway in the region.

Changes in Chinas relations with its surrounding countries, such as development of uncertain factors in relations with certain countries, have occurred in the past two years. But there has been no fundamental change in macro-situation.

First of all, as Chinas comprehensive national power continues steadily and speedily to rise, its surrounding countries are not inclined to challenge this fast developing great nation. Second, Chinas desire for peace does not change. China remains a responsible actor in the international community and seeks substantial cooperation with countries in its vicinity. It spares no effort towards building a peaceful and stable regional environment. Third, a massive war would not be in Chinas or its surrounding countriesinterests. None would consider initiating all-out war or conflict.

Under this background, uncertain factors in Chinas proximity might cause tension, but will not overtly affect the development direction of the region. Bearing in mind Chinas massive scale as well as its desire for peace, the focus of imminent intensifying competition in the vicinity between it and the U.S. will be mainly on economy. Considered as a whole, therefore, China and its environs will maintain peace and stability in the foreseeable future. In the meantime, all concerned will continue to share the benefits of cooperation and regional development, and further economic and cultural exchanges will be carried out.

In the context of the world situation, the area surrounding China is peaceful, stable and has a bright future. It also provides major impetus for world economic growth. The good relationship between China and the countries in its vicinity is hard-won. Preserving and fostering it demands effort and political wisdom from all concerned. Maintaining peace, stability and prosperity is achievable through common efforts of all countries in the immediate region.