CGTN Europe spoke to Professor Alfred Schipke, Director of the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore.
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00:00Let's talk to Alfred Schipke, the director of the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore.
00:07Alfred, welcome. At the end of this three-country tour of Southeast Asia, what do you make of it? What are the takeaways?
00:15Well, I think, first of all, you know, the timing of this trip took place at the height of the tariff tensions that have amounted after Donald Trump imposed tariffs on almost every country.
00:29So I think here President Xi wanted to convey to the region and, of course, the three countries that China is a reliable partner and that it wants to uphold the rule that has guided trade for the last decades.
00:51How is Xi Jinping's visit expected to improve trade between China and these three southeastern countries?
00:59Well, I think the beauty is that on the one hand, you have a rising middle class of, for example, in China, some 400 million people that enjoy tourism, that are consuming.
01:16And by further reducing trade barriers, whether they're trade barriers or non-trade barriers, it could be mutually beneficial.
01:26So bilateral trade can significantly increase if you think, for example, about Cambodia, you know, agricultural products, on the other hand, as was indicated, tourists from China.
01:38If the United States calms down its enthusiasm for tariffs, might these countries pivot back towards the U.S.?
01:50Well, I think, you know, the loss in confidence will probably remain.
01:59Obviously, the United States is an important trading partner for most of the countries, the ASEAN countries, and, of course, also for China.
02:08But I think the damage will be permanent.
02:11We will probably see more regional arrangements going forward, whether it's on the trade side, on the investment side, and maybe even on the payment side.
02:22In what sectors particularly do you think Chinese investment is likely to increase now following these visits?
02:30Yeah, I think on the one hand, it will be advanced manufacturing, it will continue to be the green economy, maybe also the blue economy, AI and digital, and, of course, continued infrastructure investment, which many countries in the region are still hoping for.
02:50Alfred, good to see you, and thank you very much indeed for your time, Alfred Shipka, Director of the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore.