中国与东南亚国家关系源远流长，官方合作与民间交流交织，“和为贵”的文化传统贯穿中国东盟关系始终。如今，尽管东亚地区大国博弈加剧，成员国关系复杂，但中国与东盟的关系依旧深厚、稳固，并逐渐走向深化与务实。
The ties between Southeast Asian countries and China, which date back to ancient times, fall into both official cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. Sino-ASEAN relations are perpetually permeated with the cultural tradition of “Harmony is the most precious”. Nowadays, despite the intensified competition between major East Asian countries and the complicated connections among its members, Sino-ASEAN relations not only remain deep and solid, but gain momentum towards profundity and pragmatism.
10月 28-30日，第十三次中国与东盟领导人会议、第十三次东盟与中日韩领导人会议，及第五届东亚峰会在越南河内举行。温家宝总理在中国与东盟领导人会议上，建议中国东盟应就落实第二个五年行动计划达成共识，并提出坚持以“ 10+3”合作为主渠道推进东亚合作。
The 13th ASEAN-China Summit, the 13th ASEAN Plus Three (China, Japan and South Korea) Summit and the fifth East Asia Summit were held on October 28th to 30th in Hanoi, Vietnam. On the ASEAN-China Summit, Premier Wen Jiabao recommended ASEAN and China reach consensus on the implementation of the Second Five-year Action Plan. He also proposed to push forward the cooperation among East Asian countries with “10+3”mechanism as the main channel.
回顾十三届中国东盟峰会及中国东盟关系的发展历程，我们发现，前进中的中国东盟关系呈现三大亮点：
On reflection of the 13th ASEAN-China Summit and the development process of their relations, we find three characteristics highlight the progressive Sino-ASEAN ties.
第一，官方合作走向务实，民间关系进一步深化。 国与国之间的关系至少包括两个层面，即官方间的交流与合作和民间的交流与合作。从某种意义上说，只有当普通民众从双边的官方合作中获得实惠与利益，那么国与国之间的官方合作才算富有成效。纵观中国与东盟的交往历史，我们发现中国与东盟的关系正是沿着官方与民间合作两条路径逐步继续走向深化务实。
Firstly, official cooperation is increasingly pragmatic and people-to-people exchanges are further enhanced. The connections between countries consist of at least two aspects, that is, exchanges and cooperation in both official level and people-to-people sphere. To some extent, only when ordinary citizens benefit from the bilateral government-to-government cooperation, can the official ties between countries be regarded as rewarding. With a broad overview of Sino-ASEAN contacts, we find Sino-ASEAN relations witness a gradual progress towards profundity and pragmatism both officially and non-governmentally.
自 1991年中国成为东盟对话伙伴以来，中国与东盟的官方合作全面务实。“全面”表现为双边关系深入政治、经济、安全各个领域。政治上，中国与东盟签署《东南亚友好合作条约》和《面向和平与繁荣的战略伙伴关系联合宣言》；经济上，达成全面经济合作框架协议，并于今年 1月1日启动了覆盖1300万平方公里，惠及19亿人口的“中国东盟自贸区”；安全领域，发表《南海各方行为宣言》和《非传统安全领域合作宣言》，与东盟携手维护地区稳定。“务实”表现为官方合作切实为解决东亚地区的困难做出贡献。如 2002至2004年，亚洲国家连遭“非典”肆虐，中国与东盟召开“中国东盟预防SARS峰会”，控制和防范疫情的传播。如今，中国又积极呼吁与东盟加强跨境动植物疫病防控合作，提高防控能力，并推动签署《中国东盟卫生合作谅解备忘录》，推进传染病防控和传统医药应用等领域合作。
Since China turned into a dialogue partner of ASEAN in 1991, official cooperation between them is gradually becoming “all-round” and “pragmatic”.
“All-round” is manifested in the deepening bilateral relations in the fields of politics, economy and security. In politics, Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia and the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity were signed between China and ASEAN. In economy, China-ASEAN Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation was reached, and China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, which covers an area of 13 million sq km and benefits a population of 1.9 billion, was launched on January 1st this year. In security, to maintain regional stability, China signed Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and the Joint Declaration on Cooperation in the Field of Non-Traditional Security Issues with ASEAN.
“Pragmatic” is demonstrated through the tangible contribution of official cooperation to solve the problems in East Asia. For example, ASEAN and China convened “Sino-ASEAN Summit on Prevention of SARS” when Asia was fraught with SARS from 2002 to 2004. Nowadays, China actively calls for the enhanced cooperation with ASEAN to strengthen cross-border cooperation on animal and plant disease prevention and control. China also facilitates the signing of a memorandum of understanding on health cooperation with ASEAN to promote disease prevention and control and the application of traditional medicine.
随着官方合作的全面推进，中国与东南亚国家的民间交流也更加密切、深入。并逐渐成为联系中国与东南亚国家关系的重要纽带。 2007年4月，北京中医药大学代表团先后对印尼、马来西亚和新加坡进行了考察和访问，并与上述三国的医学院校交流探讨中医药学、中西医结合医学的教育、科学研究、临床医疗，为加强中国与东南亚国家的“中医药学交流”拉开大幕。此后，北京中医药大学与印尼的中医药合作不断深化，双方就草药生态种植及综合加工，传统医学教育、医疗合作签署合作框架协议。印尼也将每年的 5月27日确定为“草药日”。印尼总统苏西洛还于2008年在北京中医药大学发表演讲，鼓励深化两国的民间交流。
With the all-round deepening of official cooperation, the non-governmental exchanges between China and ASEAN countries are also becoming closer and more thorough and gradually function as an important bond between them. In April 2007, the delegation of the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (BUCM), on their visit to Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, conducted exchanges and investigations with medical institutions in the above 3 countries on education, scientific research, and clinical therapies of Chinese medicine and its integration with Western medicine, thus starting the curtain of exchanges on Chinese medicine between China and ASEAN. Thereafter, the cooperation on Chinese medicine between BUCM and Indonesia is constantly deepening, and the two sides signed cooperation framework agreement on the ecological plantation and comprehensive processing of herbal medicines, traditional medical education and medical treatment. Moreover, May 27th was designated as “Herb Day” every year in Indonesia. Besides, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono made a speech in BUCM and encouraged the facilitation of people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.
实际上，早在 2004年，中国与东盟就已利用广西举办的“中国东盟博览会”搭建文化产业合作与交流的平台。“中国东盟文化产业论坛”、“南宁民歌艺术节”、“中国东盟汽车拉力赛”等文化活动不仅增进了中国与东南亚国家的文化交流，深化了民间关系，加强了相互了解。
As a matter of fact, as early as 2004, China and ASEAN began to expand their cooperation and exchanges in cultural industries through “Sino-ASEAN Exposition” held in Guangxi. Sino-ASEAN cultural exchanges were enhanced, non-governmental relations were strengthened and mutual understanding was deepened through cultural activities such as “Forum on Sino-ASEAN Cultural Industries”, “Nanning Folk Song Festival” and “Sino-ASEAN Automobile Rally”, etc.
此外，中国政府将认真落实与东盟国家于 2020年互派留学生规模都扩大到10万人的“双十万计划”，加强高端人才的培养合作，向东盟国家提供１万个政府奖学金名额，并邀请东盟国家１万名青年教师、学者和学生来中国访问。在中国与马来西亚之间，一直困扰两国文化教育交流的学历互认问题将在不久将来得到解决，且中马两国政府也正在就实施两国互免旅游签证展开探讨。届时，中马民众将可自由往返。
Furthermore, “Double 100 000 Plan”, with the target of intensifying cooperation on high-end personnel, will be earnestly implemented by the governments of China and ASEAN to mutually send 100 000 students for study in its counterpart by 2020. China will offer a quota at 10 000 of government scholarship and invite 10 000 youth teachers, scholars and students to visit China. Between Malaysia and China, the issue of mutual acknowledgement about each other’s educational credentials is to be solved in short, and the governments of China and Malaysia are conducting investigation on mutual tourist visa-free system. By then, free commuting between these two countries will become true for their citizens.
第二，“和为贵”的历史传统是推动中国东盟关系前进的动力。 “和为贵”乃中国传统文化的基本理念。“和”即不排斥不同，亦即承认世界之多元化合多元性，不能党同伐异，要求做到“万物并育而不相害，道并行而不相悖”。封建时代，以“和为贵”指导思想的中国东南亚“朝贡—宗藩关系”曾维系着东南亚地区的和平与安宁。明代，郑和下西洋将“和为贵”精神推向了最高境界。当前，尽管世界格局已风云变换，但中国仍然坚持“和为贵”的传统理念，提倡“和而不同”，坚持和平共处五项原则，并在“以邻为善，以邻为伴”的方针上，提出“睦邻、安邻、富邻”的政策主张。中国支持东盟在地区合作中起主导作用，提出“以发展为中心，以促进共同繁荣，构建和睦关系，维护和平稳定，以合作为途径，实现互利共赢”。
Secondly, the historical tradition of “harmony is the most precious” drives forward the Sino-ASEAN ties. “Harmony is the most precious” is the basic idea of Chinese traditional culture. “Harmony” denotes the acceptance of differences, i.e. to admit the diversification of the world, to oppose “being narrowly partisan” and to realize the ideal of “all living creatures grow together without harming each other; ways run parallel without interfering with one another”. In feudal times, peace and tranquility was maintained through the “suzerain-vassal” relations between China and Southeast Asia under the guiding ideology of “harmony is the most precious”. In the Ming Dynasty, Zheng He escalated this ideology to its supreme state during his voyage to the oceans to China’s west.
Nowadays, although the world configuration has been undergoing constant changes, China upholds the traditional idea of “harmony is the most precious” as before, advocates “harmony without uniformity”, persists in the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence, and implements the policies of “creating an amicable, secure and prosperous neighborhood” on the basis of building good neighborly relationships and partnerships. China is in support of ASEAN to play a leading role in regional cooperation, and proposes to “facilitate common prosperity, build amicable relations, maintain peace and stability with the center on development, achieve mutual benefits through cooperation”.
然而，由于意识形态的差别及中国实力的增强，东南亚国家对中国忧虑渐增，“中国威胁论”在东南亚仍有市场。近来，随着部分东南亚国家拉拢美国在南海问题上对中国施压，中国始终倡导的“和为贵”的文化传统遭到东盟国家的误解，“睦邻、安邻、富邻”的周边外交政策面临挑战，中国作为负责任大国的国家形象遭到损坏。
However, because of the ideological differences and the growing power of China, Southeast Asian countries are becoming warier of China, the “China-threat” theory still holds a position in Southeast Asia. Recently, with some Southeast Asian countries roping in the United States to exert pressure on China in the issue of the South China Sea, the cultural tradition of “harmony is the most precious” that China always carry forward is misunderstood by some Southeast Asian countries, the foreign policy for peripheral countries of “creating an amicable, secure and prosperous neighborhood” is challenged, and the national image of China as a responsible major country is damaged.
实际上，并非所有的东盟国家都视中国为挑战和威胁。以马来西亚为首的东盟国家就相当认可中国“和为贵”的外交理念。马来西亚总理纳吉布曾指出：“早在 600多年前，郑和就率领强大的明朝船队多次到达马六甲，但他们没有侵占这里的一寸土地，反而给马来人民带来了先进的文明，为两国人民播撒了友谊的种子。”印尼总统苏西洛也称赞：“ 600年前郑和船队到印尼是和平友谊之旅。”
As a matter of fact, not all ASEAN countries view China as a challenge and a threat. Some ASEAN countries led by Malaysia express their approval for Chinese foreign policy of “harmony is the most precious”. Malaysian prime minister Najib Tun Razak once remarked, “As early as over 600 years ago, the Malacca Strait saw the arrivals of the strong fleets commanded by Zheng He in the Ming Dynasty. But they never intruded a single piece of the local land, on the contrary, they introduced advanced civilization to Malaysians, and sowed the seeds for friendship between the two nations.” Indonesian president Susilo also heaped his praise, “The arrival of Zheng He’s fleets to Indonesia 600 years ago is a journey of peace and friendship.
“和为贵”理念不仅是中国的传统文化理念和周边外交政策的精神核心，更是加强中国与东盟关系的根本指导原则，是塑造和提升中国在东南亚国家形象的重要指导。对东盟而言，充分认识和理解“和为贵”理念，切实深入和加强与中国的政治外交关系是维护中国东盟关系的重要手段，也是在当今世界格局大演变中，加强中国东盟“软实力”合作的手段。
The idea of “harmony is the most precious” is not only the core spirit in Chinese traditional cultural concepts and Chinese foreign policies for peripheral countries, but also the guiding principle for strengthening the ties between China and ASEAN, and also a key direction of shaping and improving China’s image in Southeast Asia. As for ASEAN, to fully recognize and comprehend the idea of “harmony is the most precious” and to earnestly intensify and enhance the ties with China in politics and diplomacy is not only an important channel of maintaining Sino-ASEAN relations, but also a means to strengthen the Sino-ASEAN cooperation on soft power amid the changing world pattern.
第三，加强地区协调是深化中国与东盟关系的有效手段。 中国与东盟的关系除了包括中国与东盟成员国的双边关系外，还包括中国与东盟在地区事务中的协调与合作。作为东亚地区的重要成员，中国早在 90年代末，东亚合作启动时就已成为地区合作不可或缺的力量，中国东盟曾联手推动地区非传统安全合作。
Thirdly, the reinforcement of regional coordination is an effective tool to enhance Sino-ASEAN relations, which not only include the bilateral ties between China and ASEAN members, but also include the coordination and cooperation between China and ASEAN in regional affairs. As an important member in East Asia, China has been indispensable in regional cooperation since the cooperation in East Asia was launched in late 1990s. China and ASEAN once jointly promoted the regional cooperation in non-traditional security.
如今，东亚地区自然灾害频仍，传统与非传统安全交织，大国战略竞争加剧，政治、经济、安全问题联动性加强，地区一体化问题凸显。中国东盟如何在现有框架内，加强立场协调，推进地区功能合作，应对现实和潜在的危机是对中国东盟关系的考验。可以预见，随着东亚峰会的扩容及“东盟 +”机制的扩展，中国东盟关系将受到大国博弈的冲击，以“东盟+3”的东亚地区合作机制也将面临挑战。加强中国与东盟的地区协调不仅是深化中国东盟关系的有效手段，也是巩固东亚地区合作的重要途径。
Nowadays, East Asia is subjected to frequent natural disasters, security problems in traditional and non-traditional fields are intertwined, strategic competition is intensified between major powers, the interconnection among political, economic and security issues is increased, and the issues of regional integration are more salient. Foreseeably, with the expansion of East Asia Summit and the “ASEAN Plus” mechanism, the Sino-ASEAN relations will be pounded due to the games among major powers, and the mechanism of “ASEAN Plus Three” for cooperation in East Asia will be also in face of challenge. The reinforcement of regional coordination between China and ASEAN is not only an effective tool to promote Sino-ASEAN relations, but also an important channel to consolidate the cooperation in East Asia.
