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China's ties with Southeast Asia strong

By Wu Jiao (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-09-09 08:01

Tommy Koh (left) speaks with Wu Jinan, a researcher with the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, at the forum. Feng Yongbin / China Daily

BEIJING - China remains Southeast Asia's "best friend" and its influence with these neighboring countries is not losing ground to the United States, said a senior Southeast Asia diplomat.

Tommy Koh, ambassador-at-large of Singapore, speaking at a forum in Beijing on Wednesday on China's world role, said that China's growing prosperity has benefited its neighbors in Southeast Asia.

China is the first country to have a free-trade agreement with Southeast Asia, and China is supportive of Southeast Asian countries, said Koh, also chairman of the center for international law at the National University of Singapore.

Also, in the past three decades, China has pursued a policy of good neighborliness toward the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, Koh said.

"Because of China's successful diplomacy, many ASEAN countries would regard China as their best friend," Koh said.

China's ties with Southeast Asian countries have seen a twist as the United States has tried to regain ground with those countries that was lost under the Bush administration.

The Bush administration neglected the region, according to many experts. When Barack Obama took office, the US did not feel comfortable seeing China's expanding presence in Southeast Asia and vowed a return to the region.

The moves taken by the US include strengthened ties with its long-time foe Vietnam and the invitation of ASEAN leaders to the US this month.

But Koh said that China's policy to Southeast Asia is a great success, adding that the region does not fear a more powerful China because China has not historically been an expansionist or imperialistic power.

Wang Chenyan contributed to this story.

China Daily