Is China becoming more assertive? Many Westerners and Japanese tend to believe that it is, according to Professor Simon Tay, chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs - though for him it is still a question.
But the more important question, he says, is how Asia can prevent the pendulum of Sino-US relations from swinging to extremes and harming the general prosperity of the region. China, which will undergo a leadership transition in two years, faces the task of continuing its economic growth by relying less on exports and more on the domestic market.
Tay said Asia cannot afford to lose either China or the United States. As defined by their long-term interests, Asian countries must keep ties with both and, whenever possible, help them to remain friends with each other.
Countries in the region must maintain relations with both powers and all stakeholders, something Tay describes as the 'Power of And'.
It is an art political leaders need to master now, Tay said, adding that it wss different from neutrality, as practised by Switzerland during the second world war.
Being neutral is saying 'I don't give a damn' as others fight, but the 'Power of And' is saying 'don't fight; let's all be friends', said Tay, the leader of Singapore's most prestigious think tank.
