OpinionChina ‘clear winner’ at Asean summit
China showed at the regional bloc meeting in Manila earlier this month that it is eclipsing the United States as the leader in Asia, writes Richard Heydarian
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations ministerial meetings in Manila underscored the growing clout of China as the emerging regional leader. The event served as a pungent litmus test on China and the United States’ rivalry for strategic ascendancy in Asia.
Much of the discussions focused on security challenges to the Asia-Pacific region, namely North Korea’s burgeoning ballistic missile capability and ongoing maritime spats in the South China Sea.
On both issues, China suavely avoided criticism and steered the regional consensus in its own image.
In contrast, the United States struggled to exercise its traditional leadership role, hobbled by political scandals at home and, more importantly, growing doubts over American commitment to the region.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was arguably the most visible and nimble participant in the event. He held meetings with all of his key counterparts, including the North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong. Cutting a dashing figure, Wang held his own press conference where he engaged an eager international media on a wide range of topics and seamlessly transitioned from one thorny topic to the other with characteristic verve and vigour.