Thai politics: China tough going despite 40 years of bilateral ties

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BURNING ISSUE
China tough going despite 40 years of bilateral ties
SUPALAK GANJANAKHUNDEE
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- NEXT WEEK, the first day of July marks the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and China. The relationship has been meaningful and colourful over the past four decades due to the political and economic shifts of nations in the region and around the world.

Looking back on the relationship, the many prospects for the future development of ties between the two countries have become evident. As the world keeps changing, the relations between the two display a wide range of dynamics.

Thailand established relations with China 40 years ago as the spectre of communism spread fear in the region. The psyche of the Thai elite then found much difficulty in making friends with an evil entity that fostered communist ideals.

The atmosphere in adjacent countries was horrific. In April 1975 alone, Saigon in South Vietnam and Phnom Penh in Cambodia fell into the hands of communist hordes.

The so-called domino effect was a fearsome prospect. If Thailand had not managed to make friends with a major communist nation, Bangkok would not be as it is today. While the treaty ally, the United States, had already left the region at the end of the Vietnam War, China was the best choice, since Beijing had uncomfortable relations with Moscow and notably Hanoi. The key was how to convince Beijing to stop supporting the Communist Party of Thailand (CPT) and defend capitalist Thailand from the outsider threat.

Beijing found a cheaper investment for taking over international recognition from rival Taiwan by making friends with Bangkok, a major US ally in the region. Continually backing up the communist revolutionary war might have gained the same result but only after the victory over the CPT, which seemed costly and not so easy then.

The Bangkok elite found the link with Beijing valuable, notably after full support from China in the struggle against Vietnamese influence, if not expansionism, over Cambodia after the notorious Khmer Rouge regime was driven out of Phnom Penh in 1979. With support from Beijing, Thailand stood up together with Asean to back a Khmer coalition led by King Sihanouk to wage a civil war in Cambodia that lasted 10 years.

Relations soured a little during the drawing up of the 1991 Paris Peace Accord to end the Cambodian civil war - the result of a policy shift in Thailand to support the Phnom Penh regime led by Heng Samrin and Hun Sen.

But leaders in Beijing and Bangkok eventually saw it necessary to come to terms with the new situation after the end of the Cold War. Economic development really meant business in the early 1990s.

Regionalism and economic integration have taken the lead in international relations ever since.

Thailand has found its relations with China these days altered somewhat with the rise of Chinese political power, economically and militarily - while the US pivots to the region again to balance it.

Domestic politics always shape foreign policy. Rebalancing in Asia and the Pacific took place when the elite in Bangkok changed their minds about democracy and became authoritarian, prompting strong reaction from old friends in Washington and Europe.

Unfortunately, policy making in foreign relations is not as simple as shifting from Washington to Beijing, since the world today is altogether more complicated than it was 40 years ago.

Rising China disturbs not only the US but also other major powerhouses such as Japan, India, Russia and even little countries in Asean. These nations face both conflict and cooperation between themselves and others.

Taking sides is impossible, but finding a balance among them is not an easy job for leaders in Bangkok. Unlike the US, China might refrain from commenting on Thai internal politics, but dealing with Chinese investors from either the private or the state sector is no picnic. When dealing with Beijing, there are no free lunches.

While the US and EU might strongly criticise Thai politics and leaders, they are still major markets for export. When they make waves with the Thai government over the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report or the illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, Thailand has to comply at any cost or expense.

Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Thai-China relations is something both countries need to do - but the most important thing now is to look into the future for the benefit of all.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/China-tough-going-despite-40-years-of-bilateral-ti-30263002.html


-- The Nation 2015-06-24

[FangFerang]

Amazingly, the writer admitted "Rebalancing in Asia and the Pacific took place when the elite in Bangkok changed their minds about democracy and became authoritarian, prompting strong reaction from old friends in Washington and Europe.".