The world has been carefully monitoring the recent evolving dimensions in the interactive engagement that has been taking place between the USA and China and also how ASEAN has been providing the platform for greater scope for the trilateral efforts.
US Secretary of State Blinken went to Jakarta, Indonesia, July 13-14, to participate in the United States-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the 13th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, and the 30th ASEAN Regional Forum. At each meeting, the Secretary emphasized the United States’ commitment to ASEAN centrality and support for the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. He also addressed various dimensions related to economic cooperation; the fight against climate change; maritime issues, including in the South China Sea; the ongoing crisis in Myanmar; and Russia’s conflict with Ukraine. The Secretary, through his discussions, also tried to build upon the historic U.S.-ASEAN Special Summit hosted by President Biden in Washington, D.C. in May 2022 and the November 2022 elevation of the U.S.-ASEAN relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The recent past has seen leaders in Washington and Beijing stressing that they are not seeking confrontation or a new Cold War despite the intensifying competition, and a number of top US officials have travelled to Beijing in recent weeks in a push to address those tensions. This has included Blinken who met with President Xi Jinping last month, after which Xi said Beijing hoped to see the two countries overcome their differences and build “a sound and steady China-US relationship”. US Treasury Secretary J. Yellen also said last week that she had held “productive” talks with Chinese officials during a trip to Beijing, adding that ties between the two nations are on “surer footing” as a result of the dialogue. It has also been revealed that US climate envoy John Kerry is also set to visit China in July.
In Jakarta, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken “had candid and constructive discussions on a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues” with Wang Yi on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. Wang, it may be noted is the top foreign policy chief for the Chinese Communist Party and he attended the diplomatic gathering in place of China’s Foreign Minister, Qin Gang, who was unable to be present due to health reasons.
Efforts have apparently intensified in recent months to stabilize the relationship between the world’s two biggest economies- following a period of immense friction between the United States and China. However, the media has reported that there were no “breakthroughs” from the meeting in Jakarta. In this context, a senior State Department official travelling with Blinken has said “that was not the intention.” Instead, the hour and half long meeting was a follow-up to previous conversations in Beijing, and the two top diplomats “were able to pick up where they left off, and then take the conversations to the next level of detail. The conversation was a bit more focused on action, and concrete next steps required for resolving areas of difference and potential areas of cooperation.” Blinken also apparently “emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” consistent with the US vision for “a free, open, and rules-based international order.”
It is understood that Wang told Blinken the “critical step” for China and the USA would be to “take real actions to put their bilateral relationship back on the right track”. He also urged the US to take a “rational and pragmatic approach,” expand diplomatic and security communications with China and promote people-to-people exchanges. He also cautioned that “the United States must refrain from wantonly interfering in China’s internal affairs, refrain from compromising China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, stop suppressing China’s economy, trade and technology, and lift illegal and unreasonable sanctions against China.”
Apparently, Blinken and Wang, according to the US State Department also “spent a fair amount of time talking about fentanyl.” It was stressed by Blinken that the US and China should work together “ to disrupt the global flow of synthetic drugs, particularly fentanyl, and their precursor chemicals into the US to save American lives.” It is understood that during the discussion there was some agreement on the possibility of the two sides trying to establish a working group on the illicit drug. Many of the precursor chemicals used to manufacture fentanyl, according to US chemical experts, supposedly originate from China.
Indeed, numerous key issues still remain unresolved between the US and China.
Nevertheless, it would be correct to point out the different dimensions where the USA has shown their commitment in supporting ASEAN on different issues.
This has included ASEAN’s energy goals, particularly in the key areas of energy security and resilience, renewable and emerging energy technologies, and energy market integration, through the U.S.-ASEAN Energy Cooperation Work Plan.
The United States is also working with ASEAN to deliver a Climate Solutions Hub that will help ASEAN countries accelerate implementation of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and clean energy transition. Analysts have observed that ASEAN could then become a leader in clean and sustainable growth, leapfrogging to the next generation of clean energy solutions. It is being thought that in this context the United States is looking forward to participating in the third-annual U.S.-ASEAN Energy Ministerial and the inaugural U.S.-ASEAN Ministerial on Environment and Climate Change in August 2023.
In addition, the US through the U.S.-ASEAN Smart Cities Partnership (USASCP) is looking forward to a constructive engagement with the ASEAN Smart Cities Network to collaborate on issues in the water, transportation, and urban services sectors. Additional USASCP programs are expected to include energy modelling, research and innovation through the U.S.-ASEAN university partnership, urban systems integration on agri-tech, among others.
It would also be worthwhile to acknowledge the USAID Southeast Asia Smart Power Program (SPP), an initiative to mobilize US Dollar 2 billion in blended financing for clean energy infrastructure. In their September 2022 meeting, the ASEAN Ministers of Energy welcomed SPP’s partnership framework with the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) to support ASEAN clean energy priorities. SPP support will enhance development of the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) to expand power trade and improve regional system reliability, as well as working on APAEC Program Areas for Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency and advanced energy systems. USAID has already awarded ACE a US Dollar 3 million grant in June 2023 as part of the partnership to increase the regional renewable energy share of the power mix to 23 percent and to increase the installed renewable energy capacity to 35 percent by 2025. The U.S.-ASEAN Forest Future Initiative, announced during the U.S.-ASEAN Special Summit in May 2022, is also expected to host the ASEAN Nature Finance Innovation Roundtable in 2023 to mobilize additional finance that supports the long-term conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of critical ecosystems in Southeast Asia.
It has also been revealed by ASEAN that the US Department of State is committed to engaging with ASEAN’s next generation of leaders through high school and university exchange programs, research grants, and professional development opportunities throughout ASEAN. It may be noted in this regard that since 1951, over 47,000 exchange participants from ASEAN member states have benefitted from U.S. government-funded programs sponsored through the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). These programs have included the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), Southeast Asia Youth Leadership Program, Fulbright, and flagship programs like the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) and TechGirls. Programs sponsored by ECA provide both professional and academic exchange opportunities to emerging leaders in ASEAN. In the past 10 years, prominent alumni of ECA programs include 17 current or former members of Parliament in the ASEAN region and 12 recipients of the International Women of Courage Award.
ASEAN and the United States are also working together on strengthening cooperation on cyber security issues, particularly - on capacity building and promoting international cyber stability. Both sides agree that this will help to foster greater regional cyber security in cyberspace.
Observers have noted that China through their high level participation in the ASEAN meeting has pushed forward the paradigm of free trade area talks. Both China and the ASEAN are at present trying to find least common denominators pertaining to talks on a third version of a free trade agreement. This was seriously attempted by China in Jakarta. Wang Yi, in particular, has observed that "the two sides have actively promoted the negotiation of the free trade area version 3.0, and have pushed for the full implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)."
It may be noted that RCEP is the world's largest trade bloc backed by China. It took effect on January 1, 2022 and groups 15 Asia-Pacific economies including Australia and Japan, as well as all 10 member-states of ASEAN. The RCEP is seen as an alternative to the US-led Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and covers nearly a third of the world's population. Wang took the opportunity of being in Jakarta by observing that China is looking forward to creating "a more powerful strategic environment for both side's development and revitalization as well as for the long-term peace and stability of the region."
China has also reiterated that "China and ASEAN are each other's largest trading partners, with a solid foundation of cooperation and huge development potential, with the deepening of regional economic integration, the continuous expansion of cooperation fields, and the continuous smooth trade exchanges, bilateral trade is expected to continue to maintain a good trend." According to available customs data, it was revealed on 13 July that the value of China-ASEAN two-way trade hit US Dollar 447.3 billion in January-June. This however also pointed out that it had gone down 1.5 per cent year-on-year.
Nevertheless, one cannot deny that new doors are opening in the ASEAN region and that should benefit everyone.
However, we in Bangladesh feel disappointed that the ASEAN could not unite and failed to agree on the need for the Myanmar government to expedite the repatriation process of the more than 1 million Rohingya refugees who have taken shelter in Bangladesh after fleeing the crimes committed on them in their homeland in Myanmar. Their suffering will continue despite the fact that this ASEAN meeting was attended not only by ASEAN States but also two other principal actors, USA , champion of human rights and China- both associated with the scenario in Myanmar.
Muhammad Zamir, a former Ambassador, is an analyst specialized in foreign affairs, right to information and good governance