China has pushed hard for vaccine diplomacy amid the Epidemic, but has its strategic influence improved as a result? A Singapore survey of 10 ASEAN countries found that more than 60 percent of respondents said they did not trust China. If forced to choose between the U.S. and China, some 61 percent of respondents would choose the United States. Why do ASEAN countries’ trust in China continue to decline?
This is the third survey of its kind conducted by the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. Of the more than 1,000 academics, government officials and businesspeople interviewed in 10 ASEAN countries, 44 percent admitted that China provided the most aid to the region during the epidemic, far outpacing Japan, the European Union and the United States.
Despite this, the survey found that 63 percent of respondents do not trust China and refuse to believe that it will do the right thing to contribute globally. The percentage of people who do not trust China is higher than last year and 2019.
Bad Practices of Chinese-Funded Organizations Cause Resentment among Thai People
Wang Xili, a Chinese national living in Thailand, said that many Chinese companies investing in the country have brought some bad habits to the country, causing resentment among the people.
Mr. Wang: “These enterprises have collusion with the embassy, and whenever there are disputes, they will borrow the resources or human and material resources of the embassy to put pressure on the Thai authorities. The cadres of the Thai government give these enterprises to do wrong and bring very great trouble to the local people.”
The Wuhan pneumonia epidemic spread worldwide. In addition to engaging in vaccine testing in more than a dozen countries, China has made special commitments to strategically valuable countries, including countries involved in sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea, such as the Philippines and Indonesia, to prioritize the supply of vaccines as a condition for expanding China’s influence and soft power in exchange for commercial and political benefits.
Vaccine diplomacy has not had the desired effect
According to Chong Kah Ying, an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore, vaccine diplomacy has not had the desired effect, as countries have reservations about the quality of vaccines developed by China and are dissatisfied with the Chinese authorities’ concealment of the epidemic.
Chong Jiaying: “Although China has donated vaccines, however, except for Singapore, the epidemic is more serious in many countries, and many people feel that if China had directly faced and controlled the epidemic and not concealed it, we might not be in a bad environment now.”
He said that China’s Belt and Road strategy certainly drives the economy and employment of ASEAN member countries, but at the same Time, it also brings trouble for the common people.
Chuang Jiaying: “The construction of high-speed railroads requires land acquisition, which often brings disputes. After the land is expropriated, how will these people who sold you the land handle their lives. In the process of land acquisition there will be some middlemen, there is a situation of exploitation. To build a reservoir you have to flood a large area of land, some people will be forced to relocate, and there will be a relatively large impact on the natural ecological environment.”
PLA’s strong performance adds to outside suspicions
The South China Sea sovereignty dispute is seen as the biggest obstacle between China and Southeast Asia. Zhuang Jiaying said the PLA’s strong performance has increased outside suspicions.
Chong Jiaying: “China doesn’t appear to want to negotiate with the other side, it’s more like an aggressive feeling. Chinese warplanes fly everywhere, Southeast Asia to Northeast Asia is constantly happening, consolidating the negative impression people have of Chinese officials.”
Southeast Asia is seen as a battleground for the U.S.-China tug of war. A Singapore survey of ten ASEAN countries also showed that if forced to choose sides between the U.S. and China, about 61 percent of respondents would choose the U.S. over China. Citing the Wuhan pneumonia vaccine research and development as an example, scholar Chong Ka Ying argued that the U.S. gives the outside world the impression of transparency and independence, and that the technology and validation process are trustworthy enough, which China lacks.
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