No digital strings attached

As the world is mired in turmoil, China-ASEAN cooperation in the virtual space will help stabilize the geopolitical situation in Asia

China and Southeast Asian nations are not only close neighbors geographically, but also have close connections in the digital world. China is a digital powerhouse, next only to the United States, while the Association of Southeast Asian Nations boasts a vast digital market and huge potential for development.

With geopolitical competition in the digital realm escalating, win-win digital cooperation between China and ASEAN holds significance beyond bilateral ties.

China, while seeking independent development in the digital field, also attaches importance to cooperating with other regions. The country has accumulated a wealth of experience and lessons in the process of its digital development. By sharing its know-how and expertise with ASEAN countries, China can better serve global digital cooperation.

Today, China and ASEAN are close partners in the digital sector. Cooperation with China helps ASEAN find a way to develop its digital economy. China's world-leading digital tech industry and enormous market size can meet ASEAN's increasing demand for digital market and consumers. The win-win cooperation is based on the following two factors.

First, China-ASEAN cooperation in the digital field has solid foundations. China-ASEAN bilateral ties are an example of mutually beneficially relations. As early as in 2003, China started communicating and collaborating with ASEAN in information and communications technology (ICT). At that time, China was at a fledgling stage in the development of information technology, but that did not prevent it from giving support to ASEAN.

Furthermore, China-ASEAN cooperation is driven by both market players and the government. On the one hand, Chinese enterprises have entered the market of ASEAN members, participating in the development of local digital economy. On the other hand, China has established the China-ASEAN Information Harbor in Nanning, capital of South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, which is designed to support ASEAN in digital technology, industry and personnel.

Second, China-ASEAN digital cooperation is complementary and mutually beneficial. The bilateral cooperation is highly aligned with ASEAN's digital development strategies — the ASEAN ICT Masterplan (AIM) and the ASEAN Digital Masterplan (ADM). In recent years, the two sides have achieved fruitful results in building digital infrastructure, such as sea and land optical cables, computing infrastructure, and application of the Beidou navigation system.

It is fair to say China's experience and technology have greatly facilitated the digital integration of ASEAN. With regard to cybersecurity, the collaboration is focused on the sharing of information, and the joint crackdown on cybercrimes based on an equal footing. In comparison, the US-led West has played the role of provocateur, pushing ASEAN countries to pick a side in its digital development. Cooperation between the United States and ASEAN started in 2017. Since then, the US, the European Union, the United Kingdom and Japan rushed to enhance cooperation with ASEAN, which occurred during the Donald Trump administration when the US launched a trade war, and a tech war against China. The timing of increased US-ASEAN cooperation shows hidden motives, a politically-driven movement to counterbalance China's influence in the region.

In contrast, the time-tested cooperation between China and ASEAN in the digital space is based on two important consensuses.

First, development is the main theme of cooperation. Both China and ASEAN believe the digital economy plays a key role in driving economic growth and social progress. China's leapfrog development in e-commerce has brought opportunities for ASEAN countries in terms of technology and market. Likewise, Southeast Asian nations' demand for digitalization and its market potential provide vast space for the development of Chinese enterprises. At the fourth China-ASEAN Digital Ministers' Meeting, the two sides adopted the ASEAN-China 2024 Digital Work Plan and agreed to jointly develop the China-ASEAN Initiative on Facilitating Cooperation in Building a Sustainable and Inclusive Digital Ecosystem.

Second, China and Southeast Asian countries adhere to the principle of equality and mutually beneficial cooperation. On the one hand, China respects the development paths and policies chosen by ASEAN countries and is committed to preserving the open and inclusive regional cooperation framework with ASEAN at the core. On the other hand, ASEAN countries respect China's development interests and market rules, and aim to enhance digital cooperation based on the two above-mentioned initiatives on an equal footing. This mutual respect has laid a solid foundation for bilateral cooperation.

As the world is mired in turmoil, China-ASEAN cooperation in the digital space will help stabilize geopolitical situation in Asia.

First, China-ASEAN digital cooperation in bilateral or multilateral ways can increase their say in the international arena and help preserve Asia's digital stability and balance.

Second, with their vast population and economic size, China-ASEAN cooperation in e-commerce will inject new vitality into their economies and spur innovation, thereby boosting global economic recovery.

Furthermore, as advocates and practitioners of multilateralism, China and ASEAN can jointly push the restructuring of the global digital order, and help shape a more transparent, fair and inclusive solution in the digital space.

The author is deputy director and senior fellow of the Institute for Public Policy and Innovation Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies. The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.