Southeast Asia welcomes China and the United States, but does not welcome or need hegemony. What it wants to see is the two major economies continue to serve as growth engines. Deeper cooperation between China and the United States will benefit the region and provide stronger support for its peace and stability.
These needs of Southeast Asian countries require and deserve more attention. There is little room left for hegemony in an era of growing multi-polarity, and cooperation has become a general trend. Southeast Asian countries will be more relieved at America’s “return,” and the United States can also obtain more practical benefits from its “return” if it participates in regional affairs on an equal footing and closely cooperates with regional powers. It should not act as an arrogant leader or a hegemonic power that always points fingers at others.
The United States should treat big and small countries equally, take Southeast Asian countries as equal partners, and allow them to take the lead in handling regional affairs. If it only wants to take advantage of Southeast Asian countries to achieve its own strategic goals, these countries will become more and more worried and upset.
The Pacific is big enough for China and the United States. A major challenge facing the United States which is shifting its strategic focus back to the Asia-Pacific region is abandoning the hegemonic mentality and the outdated belief that a major power is bound to seek hegemony. It should play a constructive role in promoting regional peace, stability, and prosperity, fully respect the major interests and reasonable concerns of Asia-Pacific countries, adapt to China’s rise, and learn to coexist peacefully with China in the region. This determines the success of U.S. strategy of “returning” to the Asia-Pacific region.
Read the Chinese version: 平等参与决定美国成败, source: People's Daily, author: Ding Gang
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