Chinese trade takes place of US tanks [-China thumbing nose at the US]

Illustration: Liu Rui

By Ding Gang
Global Times | 2012-10-31

Last week, China opened another consulate in Khon Kaen, northeastern Thailand. It is the third Chinese consulate in the country, following the two in Phuket and Chiengmai.

Kohn Kaen lies nearly at the center of Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. It is a key city in the Isan region of northeastern Thailand, and also an important hub connecting these four countries.

Those who've been to Kohn Kaen will remember the broad highways there. That's a legacy of the Vietnam War. Back in that era, the US military had an important basis in this area.

Lots of military supplies were transported to the frontline through the airports and highways in this region. Besides, those US soldiers on garrison rotation or on vacation often enjoyed a few days or weeks of R&R there.

Today's Kohn Kaen is much quieter than Bangkok. But in the few bars in the night streets of Kohn Kaen, there are a number of Thai girls hosting Western tourists. It is somewhat reminiscent of the days when US soldiers were there.

After World War II, this spot became an important route through which the CIA permeated into Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Today in every shopping mall in Thailand, you can find Jim Thompson, a famous brand of Thai silk. Its founder, once a CIA agent, entered Laos through this area.

Traveling north from Kohn Kaen, after a 200-kilometer drive and passing over Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, you arrive at Vientiane, capital of Laos. On the Thai side, there is a street-side "border market" sign with Chinese characters on it. "Made-in-China" goods and clothes can be easily found at various stalls within the market.

Last week, a source in Laos revealed that China agreed to provide financing for the construction of a railway between the two countries which would cost $7 billion. The 418-kilometer railway will stretch from Vientiane all the way to China-Laos border. If this becomes a pan-Asian railway network, this railway will further extend to Kohn Kaen and Bangkok.

Pulitzer-prize winning journalist Joel Brinkley, in his book Cambodia's Curse, also highlights the growing role of Chinese economic power in this region. Times are changing, China is changing and so is Southeast Asia. The most important change is that development has replaced war. Back in those years, the Americans put colossal input into this area. But that was due to the needs of the Cold War and was aimed at safeguarding the post-war order dominated by the US.

In comparison, today's Chinese input and influence in this area are driven by development and embodied in economy and trade. The establishment of a consulate in Kohn Kaen is also mainly due to considerations of deepening economic and trade exchanges with this area.

This shows that the Chinese way of coming to the stage of Southeast Asia is totally different from the US's. The Americans entered Southeast Asia in tanks and warplanes, whereas today the Chinese show up with gunnysacks of "Made-in-China" goods on their back.

Economic and trade exchange must be mutually beneficial for people on both sides, otherwise they won't last and Chinese development in this region would be restrained.

The Chinese arrival must be in accordance with the needs of development in these countries. This is something that the US didn't encounter before.

Such restraint is also linked to the US. If the US' China strategy includes considerations of deepening relationships with China's surrounding countries, then the US must be prepared to participate in regional economic development in a more proactive manner.

This will decide the dynamics of future competition between the US and China in this region.

The author is a senior editor with People's Daily. He's now stationed in Bangkok. dinggang@globaltimes.com.cn