ABSTRACT
Chinese-Southeast Asian relations have experienced ups and downs since 1949. During most of the Cold War, China was seen by many Southeast Asian nations as an exporter of communism. In the eyes of many people in the region, communist China was a country to be feared and avoided. Diplomatic relations were strained as Southeast Asian governments suppressed communist insurgents, many of whom were ethnic Chinese. In fact, ASEAN was first established in 1967 as an anti-communist political group.1 Normal political and economic relations between China and most Southeast Asian nations were almost non-existent. Given such a shaky foundation, it is truly amazing that China-ASEAN relations have developed so tremendously since the end of the Cold War.
