ABSTRACT
In Kampuchean crisis, China is an ally of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in their dispute with Vietnam and the USSR. China has been particularly supportive of front-line Thailand and the Kampuchean coalition, headed by Prince Norodom Sihanouk but dominated by the old Pol Pot faction, the Khmer Rouge. Despite the present good or even cordial relations between China and most of the ASEAN membership, many ASEAN leaders have nagging doubts that such a situation is permanent. General memories of past Chinese policies and a tendency to perceive the Chinese of China through lenses colored by experiences with their own domestic Chinese populations have affected People's Republic of China relations with every ASEAN member. The People's Republic of China enjoys cordial but informal relations with Singapore. Official Malaysian attitudes towards the People's Republic of China have softened greatly since independence in 1957. Political leaders throughout ASEAN, with varying degrees of emotion and conviction, fear the China of the future.
