If China's domestic mishandling of the Sars crisis has exposed the gulf between the habitual secrecy of the past and the realities of the present, the same gap is evident across the region. The failure to publicly tackle the threat posed by the disease may once have had a limited impact beyond the borders of a closed China, but no longer. China's trade, travel and diplomatic engagement with Southeast Asia grows each year. The borders between land-locked Yunnan province and Myanmar and Laos have grown increasingly porous; rising numbers of mainland tourists are visiting Thailand and Malaysia. Several Southeast Asian nations are now reporting damage to their tourist industries as the rest of the world avoids the region; the Singaporean prime minister warned at the weekend of grave trouble ahead unless the virus was dealt with firmly.
Such remarks are a jarring reminder that the burgeoning relationship between China and the region carries its own responsibilities. For many in the region, the sudden frankness displayed by the central government over the past few days will only have confirmed their worst suspicions. In that regard, it is hardly surprising that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has decided to keep its regional summit on the crisis in-house. Thailand's earlier plan to invite China has been delayed.
This is hardly a snub of significant proportions, but one that should send a message nonetheless. As those newly promoted to the top posts in China starts to show resolute leadership, it is vital they seek to ease regional concerns as part of their efforts to deal with the consequences of Sars. Only decisive action will win them back enough credibility for them once again to be considered automatic participants at such a summit. There are no short cuts - no diplomatic niceties, aid handouts or other means of support - to regaining this position.
The crisis may not have put at risk China's overall relationship with the region, but it does suggest that these are ties which cannot be taken for granted. The last decade has seen remarkable developments in China's dealings with Asean as a grouping and with each of its 10 members. China, for example, made the unprecedented move of contributing to the International Monetary Fund's bailout of Thailand during the regional financial crisis. Earlier this year, it played a quiet mediating role when violence flared between Thailand and Cambodia.
Such bonds give optimism that the many challenges ahead for the region will be faced with understanding and maturity rather than the dark suspicions of the past. By building on its efforts at the weekend to get to grips with the Sars outbreak in a modern fashion, China will show it respects the growing relationship with its neighbours.