Chinese Experience as Reference For ASEAN Countries

By Zhang Ruomeng

ACC Secretary-General Shi Zhongjun argues China’s experience as a developing country offers greater reference value for ASEAN member states than developed countries’ experience does

At the 26th ASEAN-China(10+1) Summit in Jakarta on September 6,Chinese Premier Li Qiang announced that in the coming three years,China would launch the “Plan of Training for 10,000” to train 10,000 professionals in governance,anticorruption and green development for ASEAN countries.

Recently,Shi Zhongjun,Secretary-General of the ASEAN-China Center (ACC),talked about China’s long-term practical cooperation with ASEAN on governance,anti-corruption,and green development as well as the fruitful results in an interview with China.org.cn.He said that ASEAN member states welcome China’s experience-sharing efforts involving training more professionals in ASEAN.

Since the plan was proposed,the ACC has received positive feedback from relevant agencies in many ASEAN countries and their embassies in China,according to Shi.They expressed confidence that it would exert a positive impact on social and economic development in the ASEAN countries.

Two years have passed since China and ASEAN established a comprehensive strategic partnership.During that time,the scope and depth of bilateral exchange and cooperation have been upgraded continuously.Implementation of the plan represents a concrete step for Belt and Road cooperation and will make a significant contribution to the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership.

Chinese Experience to Solve ASEAN Problems

The governments of ASEAN countries have already been learning from China’s experience to solve their own problems.Shi Zhongjun relayed a story from Indonesian friends about President Joko Widodo leading a cabinet meeting on following China’s example to solve air pollution.They acknowledged that in only six or seven years,China solved a problem that took other countries 20 years to solve.According to a report in Indonesian media,Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin submitted data on China’s successful air pollution control to the Office of the Presidential Palace of Indonesia and commented that the good air quality during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics fully reflected the extraordinary achievements of China’s air pollution control over the years.“It was the best example for the whole world,” he declared.

Indonesia’s development in recent years has also been inspired by China’s popular experience in building wealth.Shi quoted an account from a friend in Indonesia.Since taking office,President Joko Widodo has visited China several times,and Chinese President Xi Jinping has also visited Indonesia.In their official meetings,President Xi shared experience with his Indonesian counterpart on governance,including the popular Chinese model of “building a road first if you want to get rich.” President Widodo has been inspired by the experience.For the near-decade he has been in office,he has fully embraced the Chinese model of building roads and railways.One of the country’s greatest successes has been the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway,a signature project of China-Indonesia cooperation.Commercial operation of the railway will significantly cut the travel time between Jakarta and Bandung,which will not only make travel easier,but also create jobs and inject new vitality into economic development in regions along the way.Media has reported on plans to extend the railway to Surabaya to boost development of the Indonesian economy through the scale effect of highspeed railway networks.

“China and most ASEAN countries are developing countries,” commented Shi.“They all have large populations and weak foundations for development.Many ASEAN countries are at the similar stage of development as China with similar national conditions.Developed countries do not have the right solutions to solve their problems.The road that China has taken and its experience are more valuable for ASEAN countries.For this reason,many ASEAN countries have been enthusiastic about enhancing exchanges and mutual learning with China to seize common development.”

Long-Term Practical Cooperation

China and the ASEAN countries have a long history of cooperation in governance,anti-corruption efforts,and green development.

China and ASEAN have conducted extensive exchanges on governance at political party and national levels.ASEAN countries are most concerned about poverty reduction.Over the last 40 plus years,770 million people have been lifted out of absolute poverty in China.Over the same period,China has worked closely with Southeast Asian countries on poverty reduction.In 2014,the Chinese government introduced the East Asia Cooperation Initiative on Poverty Reduction seeking to carry out cooperation in this area with many countries including those in ASEAN.From 2017 to 2021,China organized poverty alleviation expert teams to visit remote mountain villages in Cambodia,Laos,Myanmar,and other countries as part of the East Asia Poverty Reduction Demonstration Cooperation Technical Assistance Project.For example,Sichuan Province completed a poverty reduction cooperation project in Cambodia at the end of 2020.The project was based on China’s experience in poverty alleviation and development in poverty-stricken villages.Rural households with land were offered assistance to boost their grain production,while households without land received assistance with the courtyard economy or practical technology training.“It is more helpful to teach others how to fish than to just give them fish,” goes a saying popular in both China and the West.That is the spirit with which China has helped povertystricken villages with both infrastructure construction and industrial development.

Electric multiple unit (EMU) trains at Tegalluar Station of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Bandung,Indonesia,on July 1,2023. (VCG)

Anti-corruption is one key area of cooperation between China and ASEAN.When celebrating the 15th anniversary of their dialogue relations in 2006,the two sides agreed to work on promoting criminal justice and law enforcement cooperation,including anti-corruption measures.In 2016,China and ASEAN held the first symposium on anti-corruption.In 2017,China and ASEAN released a Joint Statement on Comprehensively Strengthening Effective Anti-Corruption Cooperation to strengthen cooperation in this area.In recent years,China and the ASEAN countries have carried out anti-corruption cooperation including exchange of official visits,pursuit of fugitives and recovery of stolen assets,construction of a clean Silk Road,and sharing experience.

In terms of green development,when President Xi Jinping joined the leaders of the ASEAN member states to announce the establishment of the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership,he also announced the concept of “building a peaceful,safe and secure,prosperous,beautiful and amicable home together”alongside a series of measures for green cooperation between China and ASEAN.Leaders of the two sides also designated 2021 and 2022 the China-ASEAN Years of Sustainable Development Cooperation.In 2022,the 10+1 Summit adopted the China-ASEAN Joint Statement on Strengthening Common and Sustainable Development,which expanded the strategic consensus for sustained highquality development.The 10+1 Summit of 2023 adopted the China-ASEAN Action Plan on Green Agricultural Development(2023-2027).The two sides have also established a series of cooperation mechanisms,proposed establishment of a “China-ASEAN partnership for ecofriendly urban development,” launched the China-ASEAN Collaborative Action on Climate Change and Air Quality Improvement,and worked on other initiatives.They organized the China-ASEAN Environmental Cooperation Forum as a platform for environmental policy dialogue and exchange between China and ASEAN countries.The forum has become a dialogue brand with an important influence on regional cooperation.

Over the last decade,more than 2,000 Chinese government officials and nongovernmental representatives have participated in policy exchange,and more than 1,200 officials and technicians from Southeast Asian countries have been trained to work on ecological environment protection and climate change.China has collaborated with Cambodia and Laos to build low-carbon demonstration zones.The demonstration projects have benefitted more than 30,000 people directly or indirectly,achieving visible,tangible,and effective results.

Shi also noted that Xi Jinping: The Governance of China,a book featuring a vivid interpretation of China’s governance strategy,has been published in ASEAN countries in six local languages and has been well received by local readers.

Many ASEAN countries have been enthusiastic about enhancing exchanges and mutual learning with China to seize common development.

Experience-Sharing for Common Development

“Training is not intended to impose China’s governance experience and practice on ASEAN countries,nor does anyone expect ASEAN countries to comprehensively implement China’s practices in governance,combating corruption,and green development,”said Shi in reference to the plan introduced by Premier Li.“The plan is for China to share its experience and practice with the ASEAN countries through mutual learning and exchange while seizing opportunities to leverage the strength of all parties to pursue common development.”

On the topic of anti-corruption,Shi called it a global challenge.Over the last 10 years,China has accumulated rich experience in fighting corruption,and the effectiveness of its work has been widely recognized by the international community.Since China and ASEAN countries are all parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption,training will be conducive to further cooperation between China and ASEAN under the framework of the convention.“Anti-corruption exchange with countries such as Singapore,which has mature experience and practice in this area,can provide China a useful reference for relevant work while intensifying respective efforts to fight corruption,” said Shi.

In 2022,the ACC organized a tour of Qinghai Province for ASEAN diplomats in China and representatives of the media,with focus on the province’s practice of clean energy and green development.Everyone in the delegation was impressed with the development model of the Hainan Prefecture Ecological Photovoltaic Park,a photovoltaic power generation park with the world’s largest installed capacity.Southeast Asian countries are close to the equator,so they have strong sunshine and rich photovoltaic resources.“Indonesia has more than 17,000 islands,and the Philippines has more than 7,000 islands,” commented one diplomat.“If the photovoltaic and wind power resources on these islands were utilized,it would represent huge steps towards solving the energy shortage.” After the visit,diplomats from Laos,Thailand,Indonesia,the Philippines,and other countries expressed willingness to cooperate with China on green development such as photovoltaic and wind energy.

The only intergovernmental organization established by China and the 10 ASEAN member states,the ACC has remained committed to promoting bilateral exchange and practical cooperation in key areas since its establishment in 2011.Shi Zhongjun said that the ACC will continue to serve as an international information hub and activity center well into the future.It will continue to implement the important consensus reached between Chinese and ASEAN leaders to promote exchange,enhance mutual trust and friendship,promote practical cooperation,and create more benefits for people in all countries in the region.