The Conflict

On November 6, 2001, China and the ten countries that comprise the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed to set up a new free-trade region within ten years, one that could rival the North American Free Trade Association (NAFTA) and the European Union (EU). But the economic advantages of adding China to ASEAN are less clear than some of the political imperatives that may be driving the alliance. In this forum, as in others, China's potential position as a superpower in the near future is being watched with concern and interest.

Political

• In China-ASEAN, China is challenging Japan's dominance in the Asia Pacific. So far, it appears that Japan either cannot, or, more likely, does not, choose to respond to China's challenge.
• ASEAN has a history of very limited...