[ASEAN Column] China Striving to Establish New Relations with ASEAN

A few weeks ago, I participated as the Singapore representative in the China-ASEAN Alliance Forum hosted by Guangxi University for Nationalities in China. The forum, held for the second time following last year, included representatives from various ASEAN countries such as Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia, who gave brief academic presentations.

The city of Nanning, where Guangxi University for Nationalities is located, is a very interesting place. It is about a 2 to 3-hour drive from Vietnam and serves as the capital of the Zhuang Autonomous Region, a Chinese ethnic minority area. Additionally, with its warm tropical climate, it is considered one of the greenest cities in China. Because of this, China has long been making efforts to develop Nanning as an important hub for exchanges with ASEAN countries. Like other Chinese cities, Nanning is rapidly developing. Every year, subway lines increase, and some of China’s tallest buildings are being constructed there.

Taking advantage of its geographical location, Nanning has a street called the "China-ASEAN International Street." Since 2004, the China-ASEAN Expo (CASEAN Expo) has also been held annually in Nanning. All ASEAN countries are invited to participate, exchanging trade and investment related to agriculture, heavy industry, and tourism, as well as digital economy, science and technology, and e-commerce. Each year, non-ASEAN countries are also invited to the expo; South Korea had the opportunity to participate in 2015. Thanks to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (一帶一路, the overland and maritime Silk Road), Nanning is becoming increasingly dynamic.

Therefore, attending the China-ASEAN Alliance Forum again this time was very interesting. By chance and good fortune, I attended as the Singapore representative as a Korean, which naturally made me think about South Korea’s Southern Policy. Guangxi University for Nationalities offers language programs for all ASEAN countries. Students there participate in exchange programs to study abroad in ASEAN countries for one or two semesters. The university also invites students from ASEAN countries with scholarships to pursue master’s and doctoral programs in Chinese. The second China-ASEAN Alliance Forum discussed how ASEAN countries are positively seeking alliances with China. Although there was a sense that the strong Chinese capital was a driving force, interesting discussions took place during the open debates. One notable presentation was by a very young Chinese female student who had just completed an exchange program in an ASEAN country. Shyly unfolding a crumpled piece of paper in her hand, she shared her shock at experiencing the local people’s negative perceptions of China during her study abroad. She spoke candidly in front of the older attendees about the need to understand why such strong feelings exist and what China might be doing wrong. It was very impressive. Using her presentation as a starting point, there was a heated discussion about whether China is achieving equitable domestic development as it expands into ASEAN.

Although South Korea’s Southern Policy differs greatly in scale and objectives, the strengthening of exchanges with ASEAN countries within China’s Belt and Road Initiative may share similar goals. It was refreshing to see a young student offer such insights and have scholars engage in discussion about them at this forum. It will be worth watching what role Nanning will continue to play in China-ASEAN exchanges going forward. Could it serve as a good example for successfully leading South Korea’s ASEAN Southern Policy?

Kim Hyejin, Professor of Political Science and International Studies, National University of Singapore

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.