Summary of The New Geo-economics and Geopolitics in Asia, a Public Discussion Held by FPCI at Bengkel Diplomasi FPCI, Mayapada Tower 1 on March 8th, 2019

My friend and I came to the public discussion held by FPCI at Bengkel Diplomasi FPCI, Mayapada Tower 1 on March 8th, 2019. The discussion brought the theme "The New Geoeconomics and Geopolitics in Asia" featuring Ambassador Chan Heng Chee, Ambassador-at-Large, Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

FPCI itself stands for Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia. It is a non-political and independent non-profit organization engaged in international relations. The FPCI was formed in 2014 by Dr Dino Patti Djalal and has grown rapidly into a foreign relations community in Indonesia with approximately 40,000 members in its network.

There are several points I would like to highlight prior to the discussion:

1. There are three events that reshape what we see today in International Relations. First is the elected 45th president of the United States of America, Donald John Trump, who attack multiliteralism and do doctrine of patriotism. Second, the rising People’s Republic of China and its President, Xi Jinping. Xi also just abolished the term limit. He would like to bring China into global leader innovation, modern socialist country and to make a contribution. China is seeking an alternative model in the world. Lastly, the development of North Korea’s case and Kim Jong Un
2. When we talk America foreign policy toward Asia, Asia in this case usually refers to China, Japan and Korea (North East Asia)
3. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, “Since 1949, U.S-China relations have evolved from tense standoffs to a complex mix of intensifying diplomacy, growing international rivalry, and increasingly intertwined economies.” In 1949, the People’s Republic of China was established. Since then, relations of USA and PRC was not well noting several events namely the Korean war, Taiwan crisis, Tibetan uprising, Vietnam war and China’s first atomic test. Subsequently, President Richard Nixon took a dramatic first step in 1972 to visit Beijing aims to normalize relations with the communist People’s Republic of China (PRC). Even though had slow progress, in 1979, U.S. President Jimmy Carter grants China full diplomatic recognition.
4. In 2011, due to nine eleven tragedies, the foreign policy of the USA shifted to eradicate terrorism in the Middle East and not merely focusing on PRC only. In this occasion, the USA and China have common interests in countering the global threat of terrorism. In one of the State Department’s first post–9/11 reports on global terrorism, U.S.-China terrorism co-operation was summed up as follows: “China, which also has been a victim of terrorism, provided valuable diplomatic support to our efforts against terrorism, both at the United Nations and in the South and Central Asian regions, including financial and material support for the Afghan Interim Authority. Beijing has agreed to all of our requests for assistance, and we have established a counter-terrorism dialogue at both senior and operational levels (U.S. Department of State, Patterns of Global Terrorism 2001, VI, 16)." With this, according to Ambassador Chan Heng Chee, the current diplomatic relation of USA- China on ongoing trade war is the worst in 25 years.
5. American companies accused China from stealing the IPR. American sees China rise as the expense of the United States. With that, it seems that USA and China do not have strategic trust. The USA cannot accept China as it is.
6. In these years, China is playing an important role in development. It built the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and Belt Road Initiative (BRI). The idea of AIIB even welcomed by the developing countries. Yet, BRI has pro and cons. In Bloomberg, it is stated that "Asia need infrastructure upgrades and China seems the only country who has the resources to fulfill the demand for large-scale investment. Yet, the growing criticism and international skepticism might become the hurdles for China. In Pakistan, militants bombed and attacked the Chinese consulate in Karachi, killing seven people. They angered toward Chinese investment in a remote area. In Sri Lanka, China’s vast economic influence seemed like a threat to the country’s sovereignty. In Myanmar, the government adviser criticized as “absurd” the $7.5 billion price tag for its Chinese-backed port. In Malaysia, Mahathir Mohammad questioned Chinese investments on the campaign trail. In the office, he slammed a “new version of colonialism,” as his government moved to suspend a $20 billion Chinese railway project, and later cancelled three China-backed pipeline projects worth $3 billion"
7. To balance China ambitions, Japan has quality infrastructure initiative. India seems quieter and does not want to offend China. The US has the indo pacific strategy and Europe has a new connectivity strategy.
8. Based on the New York Times, “President Trump has transformed the world’s view of the United States from an anchor of the international order into something more inward-looking and unpredictable. The Insurgent, Breaks With 70 Years of American Foreign Policy”
9. How America accommodate the new power? Might become an interesting question.
10. Currently, some countries formed grouping without the US. The US is not a necessary player and the US does not see itself as an indispensable player. President Trump does not really focus on ASEAN. He tried to remake international economic order through aggressive bilateralism. The US first came as hegemony, predominant and currently has asymmetrical relation in the global economy and politic.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/28/us/politics/trump-world-diplomacy.html

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-12-10/how-asia-fell-out-of-love-with-china-s-belt-and-road-initiative

https://www.cfr.org/timeline/us-relations-china

https://www.fpcindonesia.org/about-2/?lang=id