維爾弗裡多•比利亞科塔

維爾弗裡多•比利亞科塔在首屆東盟發展論壇上發言

東盟前副秘書長、菲律賓前駐東盟大使和常駐代表，菲律賓德拉薩列大學政治和國際關係學教授兼研究員

維爾弗裡多•比利亞科塔 Wilfrido V. Villacorta

**演講題目：中國-東盟關係

China-ASEAN Relations**

UnlockingPossibilitiesforASEAN-ChinaRelations

IwouldliketothanktheAsiaPacificHeadquartersofXinhuaNewsAgencyforinvitingmeasspeakerinitsfirstinternationalSeminaronASEANDevelopment.IshallbeexpressingmyviewshereasaProfessorofInternationalRelations.MystatementsdonotnecessarilyreflectthepositionofmyGovernment.

WeallknowtheprogressofASEANChinarelationssince1996andthechallengesthatwehavefacedinmorerecentyears.Ishall,therefore,notdwellonthesedetails.Iwouldlikeinsteadtolooktothefutureandthebroaderdimensionsofourrelationship,focusingonourcommondreamsforourpeoples.

ThestudyandpracticeofinternationalrelationshavebeendominatedbytheRealistschoolofthought.Nationalinterestsaresupposedtobepermanent,whenintruth,theychangedependingonevolvingcircumstances..Fortoolonghavewebeenconditionedtothinkthatmoralprincipleshavelittleplaceinforeignaffairs.Nationalsecuritypoliciesdidnotgiveenoughimportancetohumansecurityandconcentratedonone-upmanshipthroughtheexpansionofdomesticandexternalpower,resultinginintensifiedarmsraceanddestructivewars.

TheexperimentofASEANoffersanalternativetotheRealistframework.TheASEANWaydoesnotsubscribetozerosumgamesmanshipbuttothe“prosperthyneighborethos.Weaspiretoserveaseachother’scatalystinbringingaboutbetterqualityoflifeforourpeoplesandincontributingtopeaceandprosperityinourwholeregion.Thisapproachadoptstheconstructivistparadigm,whichconsiderstheroleofsociallyconstructedelementsofhistory,culture,values,sentiments,institutionsandideasinforgingforeignpolicy,aswellastheliberalistframework,whichrecognizestheimpactofmarketeconomiesinfosteringcooperation,prosperityandlastingpeaceamongnations.

TheformationoftheASEANDreamcomplementstheChineseDreamenunciatedbyPresidentXiJinping.Speakingbeforestudentsandscholarsstudyingabroad,hestressedthat“Chinacannotdevelopwithouttherestoftheworld;norcantheworldasawholeprosperwithoutChina.Wemustopenstillwidertotheoutsideworld,strengtheningourconnectivityandinteractionwithit,andenhancingourunderstandingandfriendshipwithotherpeoples.

InhisspeechtothestudygroupofthePoliticalBureauoftheCPCCentralCommittee,heexhortedthem“tosortouttraditionalculturalresourcesandbringbacktoliferelicssleepinginclosedpalaces,legaciesofthevastlandofChinaandrecordsinancientbooks.HemusthavereferredtoConfucianismandTaoism,thegreathomegrownethicallegacyofChina,andMahayanaBuddhism,whichwasdevelopedfromthephilosophicaltraditionofIndia,

InanotherspeechofPresidentXi,hesharedhisperspectiveon“DiplomacywithNeighboringCountriesCharacterizedbyFriendship,Sincerity,ReciprocityandInclusiveness.Heexhortedhisaudience“topromoteregionalsecuritycooperation,whichisneededbybothChinaandourneighboringcountries.Anewoutlookonsecurityisrequiredthatfeaturesmutualtrustandreciprocity,basedonequalityandcooperation.

IfChina,nowthelargesteconomyoftheworld,resolutelyfulfillsitsdream,perhapswecanwitnessthegrowthofahumaneworldorder.

Butthatisthedistantfuture.Intheshortrun,China’sASEANneighborshavehighhopes.Theirexpectationsincludethefollowing:

1.ChinawillsupportandevenactasacatalysttotheintegrationoftheASEAN.Ofalltheeconomiesintheregion,itisChinathathasthewherewithaltoplaythisfacilitativerole.

2.ChinawillbeopentotheadoptionandratificationofaCodeofConductforPartiestotheSouthChinaSea(COC).Noonewantswartobreakoutinthefastestgrowingeconomicregion—neitherChinanoranyofthebigpowersnoranyoneoftheASEANmember-states.ArmedconflictwilldisruptthefruitionoftheenvisagedASEANEconomicCommunity.

3.Chinawillbetheexemplarofanewtypeofbigpower,whichsubscribestotheprincipleofrén(仁),theprimaryguidingprincipleofConfucianism.ItwasKongfuziwhofirsttaughttheGoldenRule:“Whatyoudonotwantdonetoyourself,donotdotoothers.(BookXV,Chapter23)"Surely,China,whichsufferedacenturyofhumiliationatthehandsofcolonizers,wouldnotwanttobethecolonialrulerofthe21stcentury.

PresidentXirecognizesthediversityanduniquenessofthedevelopmentapproachesofitsneighboringcountries.ItisinterestingthatDr.HenryKissingerinhislatestbook,WorldOrder,believesthat“toachieveagenuineworldorder.Itscomponents,whilemaintainingtheirownvalues,needtoacquireasecondculturethatisglobal,structuralandjuridical—aconceptoforderthattranscendstheperspectiveandidealsofanyoneregionornation.Atthismomentinhistory,thiswouldbeamodernizationoftheWestphaliansysteminformedbycontemporaryrealities.

InordertodevelopandperpetuatetheacceptanceofthelogicofOneWorld,SingaporeAmbassadorKishoreMahbubaniprescribesthatthereneedstobeaconvergenceofEasternandWesternwaysofthinking.Heobservesthat“paradoxically,thecontemporaryWesternmind,whichhasuntilrecentlybeenmoreopenthanotherminds,mayhavemoredifficultygraspingthecomplexity.ThroughatangledcombinationofhavingtobealwayspoliticallycorrectandneveradmittingtoMachiavelliancalculations,mostWesterncommentatorshavefallenintoablack-and-whitemind-set.Intheirminds,therearerightorwrongsolutions.Intherealworld,mostsolutionsarerightandwrongwrappedtogether.Perhaps,theseideaswillgeneratealivelydiscussionwithotherparticipants.Ithankyou.

References

Das,SanchitaBasu,JayantMenon,RodolfoSeverino,OmkarLalShrestra(eds.).2013.TheASEANEconomicCommunity:AWorkinProgress.Singapore:InstituteofSoutheastAsianStudies.

Jacques,Martin.2009.WhenChinaRulestheWorld:TheEndoftheWesternWorldandtheBirthofaNewGlobalOrder.NewYork:ThePenguinPress,2009.

Kissinger,Henry.2014.WorldOrder.NewYork:PenguinPress.

Mahbubani,Kishore.2013.TheGreatConvergence:Asia,TheWest,andTheLogicofOneWorld.NewYork:PublicAffairs.

XiJinPing.2014.TheGovernanceofChina.Beijing:ForeignLanguagesPress,2014.