Belgian scholar praises China's increasingly important role in promoting Asia-Europe co-op

Special Report:Global Financial Crisis
Special Report: The 7th Asia-Europe Meeting

by Xie Dongfeng

BRUSSELS, Oct. 27 (Chinese media) -- One of Belgium's top Sinologists on Monday praised China's increasingly important role in promoting Asia-Europe cooperation and underlined the "strong message" delivered by the just-concluded Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) on jointly fighting the international financial crisis.

"Because of its sheer size and economic clout, China is bound to play an important role in further developing the Asia-Europe cooperation. It should take up its responsibilities and it is becoming more clear every day that Beijing is doing just that," Gustaaf Geeraerts, director of the Brussels Institute of Contemporary China Studies (BICCS), told Chinese media in an exclusive interview.

"China's efforts in hosting a successful Asia-Europe Meeting are yet another telling indication of China's growing assertiveness in the arena of world politics," he added.

Professor Geeraerts noted that China is taking greater responsibilities on international affairs after more than two decades of impressive economic growth had boosted the country's self-confidence.

"In Beijing, the notion that China should start taking an attitude befitting a responsible power is gradually gaining ground. ..China is taking up ever more space within various multilateral organizations and is setting up diplomatic activities everywhere on the globe," he said.

However, Geeraerts said that while China is further engaged in international duties, the "absolute priority" must still be given to its domestic economic development as it is still in many respects a developing country.

Despite the fact that China has made enormous progress in the past 30 years since the launch of its economic reforms, developing into the world's third largest trading power, it still does not score very highly in terms of GDP per capita, he said.

"In addition, it is also increasingly faced with the fallout generated by the widening gap in levels of prosperity between different regions, urban and rural areas, the rich and poor," he added.

In view of these factors, he said, Chinese leaders are steering a course where what is needed for the development at home defines the contours of foreign policy.

Geeraerts also stressed that "to realize sustainable development China needs regional and global stability."

Turning to the two-day seventh ASEM, which just concluded on Saturday, the 58-year-old Geeraerts said the summit had got special importance as it was the first large-scale international summit since the U.S.-sparked financial crisis has been ever deepening.

The meeting delivered "a strong message," he said. "By and large they reveal a consensus on several measures including tighter control of monetary and budgetary policies, enhanced transparency, increased credit inspection and enhanced crisis control mechanisms."

"These are all very useful inputs for the international summit on the financial crisis to be held in Washington D.C. next month," he said.

Geeraerts said both Asia and Europe shared heavy responsibilities in dealing with the financial crisis as both sides are heavyweights in the global economy.

"Their visions and actions are essential for an effective tackling of the global financial crisis," he said.

"Both are also highly connected to the rest of the world. Therefore, both have a lot to win from finding a good solution to the crisis. Together these two elements form a solid foundation for cooperation," said the professor.

The current global financial crisis was the top subject of ASEM in Beijing, which adopted three documents, namely the ASEM Statement on the International Financial Situation, the Beijing Declaration on Sustainable Development and the Chair's Statement, which included 17 cooperation proposals.

In his view, ASEM has assumed a more important role in enhancing mutual understanding between the two continents, and in promoting world peace and stability.

"In an interdependent global system effective governance can only flow from dialogue and cooperation. In a diversifying global system it is paramount that regions communicate permanently to stimulate mutual understanding," he said.

"We need to find out what we have in common and find ways on how to cope with our differences due to dissimilar cultural background, history and economic development. That is why the ASEM is so important," he said.

Speaking of the importance of EU-China relations to Asia-Europe cooperation, Geeraerts said both sides, which each play leading roles in their respective regions, can act as coordinators of mutual cooperation.

When commenting on the current EU-China relationship, Geeraerts acknowledged that while both sides have become increasingly interdependent and affect each other in more areas than ever before," the number of divergences and conflicting expectations has been piling up."

"Nonetheless, both Chinese and Europeans are aware of the situation, and they both consider it a major challenge to develop a better understanding of each other's problems and capabilities," he said.

The scholar said that both sides now "perceive a need to change the affected rhetoric of the past for a more realistic appraisal of what they are really able and willing to offer to each other."

"One thing stands out though: both sides believe they stand to gain from a relationship that starts from a more balanced and realistic mutual expectations," he stressed.

"To define the contours of such a relationship and to shape the conditions for its realization seems to be the genuine challenge for future EU-China relations," he concluded.