China plays its part in ensuring regional stability

International relations experts attending the Dalian Forum in Liaoning province on Oct 22 and 23 pointed out that the US' pivot has worsened the security outlook in the Asia-Pacific.

As Zhang Jingquan, a professor of international politics at Jilin University points out, confusion over the objectives and methods of the US' pivot strategy has led to misjudgments of the regional situation by countries such as Japan and the Philippines and encouraged them to take provocative actions in their maritime territorial disputes with China.

This has set a bad example to Vietnam, as Hanoi has territorial disputes with Beijing as well, says Zhang. The intemperate sentiments and moves from these countries might trigger a butterfly effect and force countries in the region to take sides, thus leading to a growing divide in the region, he warns.

In the same vein, Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at Heilongjiang Academy of Social Sciences, said the degree of trust in the Asia-Pacific region has plummeted as the US has implemented its pivot strategy. The problem-solving mechanisms in the region have become ineffective, while regional security cooperation has retrogressed, says Da. As a result, a security crisis is spreading from the political, diplomatic and military fields to economic and people-to-people levels, the scholar warns.

There is an urgent need to restore trust in the region. More should be done to rally a consensus on reducing differences, as well as pushing for solutions to the territorial disputes in the region.

A stable regional order caters to the interests of all. China also needs a stable region for its peaceful development, said Qiu Chaobing, an associate professor with the Institute of American Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

As a country having extensive interests in the Asia-Pacific, China should actively contribute to the building of a stable regional order and put forward pragmatic suggestions to promote trade and security, the scholar suggests.

The upcoming Xiangshan Forum offers an ideal venue for Asian countries to review potential threats to the region, recognize each other's reasonable security concerns and contemplate multilateral security cooperation in such fields as maritime security and anti-terrorism.

The author is a senior writer with China Daily. wanghui@chinadaily.com.cn