Expectations and Commitment

By Zhao Jun, Wang Fengjuan, Wang Hai

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the China-ASEAN strategic partnership. The importance of China-ASEAN cooperation has transcended the bilateral scope to increasingly become the support and engine for maintaining regional peace and stability and promoting regional common prosperity. A few days ago， China Report ASEAN reporters interviewed Dr. AKP Mochtan， deputy secretary-general of ASEAN for Community and Corporate Affairs， who expressed his views on the future development of China and ASEAN.

>>China Report ASEAN： In early May， Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited the ASEAN Secretariat and delivered a keynote speech. In his speech， Li mentioned that he hoped that China would work with ASEAN to bring an “Asian miracle” to the world. What do you think about the expectations of Premier Li？

Dr. AKP Mochtan： To me， it is more than expectations—something much stronger. It is a commitment. And in fact， Chinas commitment to the China-ASEAN relationship is evidenced by this official state visit by one of Chinas top governmental figures to the ASEAN Secretariat. It is even more notable that it was his first trip after taking office for his second term. So Li is really personally committed. And what should we expect？ I think we have to have vision. What do we want to be？ We want to be what our cooperation yields， and that philosophy is one of a leader. And having vision is very important. So to me its about a commitment at the highest level more than about expectations.

>>China Report ASEAN： This year marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the China-ASEAN strategic partnership. In your opinion， what are the most notable China-ASEAN cooperation achievements or experiences？

Dr. AKP Mochtan： Let me put it this way： ASEAN-China relations have grown from strength to strength. We have had a very vibrant relationship. And our achievements can be found in all sectors—not only political security but also in tourism， education， disaster management， agriculture and healthcare. There are already too many achievements to list. And weve also established an actual work plan， a plan of action， that reaches to 2020. So I expect that we are going to see much more， far beyond what we have achieved by the 15th anniversary of our strategic partnership.

>>China Report ASEAN： Do you see any commonalities between the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China？

Dr. AKP Mochtan： An old Chinese saying goes： “Even mountains and seas cannot keep people with common aspirations apart.” China and ASEAN have both reached optimal stages of development. The people of ASEAN and China need to understand that opportunities are abundant with China as ASEANs largest trading partner. At the 2017 ASEAN Summit， ASEAN leaders signed the “Association of ASEAN” to catalyze realization of the “ASEAN Community Vision 2025” by strengthening the service role of the public sector. With the Philippines holding the rotating ASEAN presidency， the summit was themed “to embrace change and integrate into the world” with an eye on strengthening ASEANs dynamic， vibrant and prosperous roles in unified action and participation in global cooperation.

Chinas Belt and Road Initiative also provides vision and direction. And ASEAN is currently working for what we call connectivity. We have a master plan for connectivity， so now our challenge is finding the nexus between the Belt and Road Initiative and the ASEAN connectivity master plan. I think these programs are complementary. These are not rivals. The trick is pinpointing how to build synergy and add value to both of these approaches.

>>China Report ASEAN： In your opinion， what role can the media play in promoting cooperation between China and ASEAN？

Dr. AKP Mochtan： Media have become an integral force in the advancement of society in todays world. From environmental protection to poverty alleviation， strengthening MSMEs to promoting culture and education， the media plays a critical role whether as a purveyor of knowledge， a voice of integrity， a bridge for linkages or a catalyst for change in the context of ASEAN. Public perception is highly critical to the success of any long-term program.

The significance of media cooperation holds true in terms of public discourse about ASEAN-China relations. The ASEAN-China partnership spans the three ASEAN Community pillars of political security， economics and socio-cultural bonds， and the media should play a vanguard role in crystallizing the importance and implications of such cooperation. We rely on our media colleagues to highlight the fact that opportunities for everyone can be found in each and every realm of cooperation between ASEAN and China—whether agriculture， tourism， health， education or trade. We rely on media channels to disseminate information and enhance understanding of the strategic partnership between ASEAN and China to build mutual trust between people on both sides. However， the media must make a conscious choice to make this happen： They can choose to build bridges of understanding or create walls of misinformation.

>>China Report ASEAN： This year marks the 40th anniversary of Chinas reform and opening up. You have visited China several times. What do you think of Chinas development and changes in recent decades？

Dr. AKP Mochtan： I have visited China primarily due to people-to-people relations， but also for business involving the media and engaging with scholars and think tanks. So I have seen so much progress. And I have also had the pleasure of visiting a wide range of provinces and cities， like Wuxi this time. Before that I had visited Xian， Wuhan and Nanjing in addition to Shanghai and Beijing， of course. What I can say is that the development in China is really fascinating. And the relationship that is forming between the media and scholars throughout the region is particularly important. Such relationships complement and add value to government-to-government relations. I have been very impressed that a number of universities are highly interested in ASEAN studies， with many eyeing establishment of ASEAN study centers. It would be great to see ASEAN study programs in universities in China. This is good news that will prove useful. Chinas immense size certainly presents a challenge which requires intensifying our relationships. And we are fortunate to have reached the social media age， which has facilitated relationships through digital exchange. Although far from an in-person visit， such exposure to foreign culture will at least help in bridging and strengthening communication between ASEAN and Chinese media and scholars. I look forward to a more robust relationship， which I can see emerging in this city as it happens across China.