ABSTRACT
China expanded its diplomatic presence in Northeast Asia during the 1990s, establishing formal ties with South Korea, while maintaining relations with North Korea, improving its relations with Japan, and harmonizing its ties with Mongolia. Unlike Southeast Asia, there were far fewer ethnic Chinese communities in Northeast Asia. Northeast Asia became the center of China's economic gravity in the 1990s, the source of much of its capital, trade, technology, and economic growth. China condemned the Indian nuclear test in May 1998 but not the Pakistani response. China did not seek to use its trade as a foreign policy weapon during this time against any of its neighbors. The year 1990 was particularly notable for Chinese diplomacy, because of the normalization of diplomatic relations with Singapore and Indonesia. Premier Li Peng visited Indonesia and Singapore, as well as Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Laos, and Sri Lanka. Initial membership was limited to Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
