Establishment of Asia Pacific Exchange and Cooperation Foundation

The Asia Pacific Exchange and Cooperation Foundation (APECF) was founded by a group of current or former political leaders, prominent scholars, and social activists, as well as enterprises and research institutes with world influence. The APECF has received extensive response from people of all walks from different regions in the world and participation of non-profit organizations to a certain extent. The foundation has maintained extensive and constructive contacts and cooperation with governments and non-governmental organizations in the region of Asia Pacific.
Objectives
The objectives of the foundation are to promote exchanges and cooperation in areas including politics, economy, and culture in Asia Pacific through an open dialogue platform and negotiation mechanism; and to realize the renaissance of the Eastern civilization under the new world order through public diplomacy, policy research, and social charity services and by utilizing the foundation's own influence, creativity, and actions. The foundation aims to make long-lasting efforts and contribution to world peace and the well-being of the human race.
Ultimate Goal
Other objectives include: to promote the comprehensive social, economic, and cultural development in the Asia Pacific region; to improve the understanding and cooperation of the people in this region; to explore and discover new model for the development in Asia through research, academic exchanges, and cultivation of talents in this region; to actively get involved in charity activities in the fields of environmental protection, eradication of poverty, and improvement of education and healthcare services in Hong Kong and neighboring areas; and to realize the ultimate goal of achieving harmonious relations between people and people, people and society, and people and the nature at the micro level. APECF aspires to establish itself in Hong Kong, serve the Asia Pacific region, and be geared to the world.
Working Targets
1. To coordinate with the United Nations and its agencies, governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations in various regions in exploring and discovering approaches and methods to address the common issues facing the human race like the religious conflicts, racial conflicts, environmental conflicts, and social contradictions due to poverty, education, healthcare, and unemployment in order to eradicate the root causes that undermine world peace and the well-being of the human race.
2. To play an active and constructive role and to seek win-win moderate path in relation to current hot issues in the world.
3. To have extensive cooperation with major think tank groups in the world in studying and conducting researches on current major world issues and the future fate of the world. At the same time, APECF takes the initiative to form the New Asia Pacific Think Tank to create a new Asian model by promoting the integration of the diverse culture in Asia Pacific and consolidating the best wisdom across the world.
4. To establish an effective cooperation mechanism with non-governmental organizations around the world to maximize the endeavor of promoting the public power in "save the earth, save the human" activities.
5. To promote interreligious understanding and dialogue and to achieve world peace by means of the human's spiritual harmony.
6. The foundation is to play the role as a backbone in the fields of new media and information technology to promote dialogue and understanding between the Eastern civilization and other civilizations in the world.
7. To support charity causes and activities of public good in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Macao, and other areas that benefit the Asia Pacific region.
Joint Chairmen
Leon H. Charney, former special envoy on Middle East affairs of the US President and chairman of the board of governors of Israel's University of Haifa
Korn Dabbaransi, former prime minister of Thailand
Colin Heseltine, former executive director of the council of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
Prachanda, former prime minister of Nepal
Steven Clark Rockefeller, Jr., chairman of the board of directors of the Rockerfeller Group
Jack Rosen, chairman of the American Jewish Congress (appointed by the President)
Dr. Ramzi Sanbar, chairman of the SDC Group
Paras Bir Bikram Shah, crown prince of Nepal
Tiong Hiew King, executive chairman of Malaysia's Rimbunan Hijau Group
Executive Vice Chairman
Xiao Wunan, chairman of the United Nations Organization for Religious Understanding and Cooperation and vice chairman of China's Socio-Economic and Cultural Exchanges Committee

Military Impact of South China Sea Dispute on ASEAN Countries

Some international strategist has said that if ever there is any large-scale war happened in this world again, then it is likely that such a war will happen in the South China Sea. But not many people believe it and said it is an exaggerated prediction.
In the past, the Southeast Asian region could still be considered as a peaceful region and the South China Sea is still considered as a calm and quiet piece of ocean.
Sovereignty of Islands and Maritime Boundaries
Although there are some small islands and some small reefs in the South China Sea whose territorial rights and maritime boundaries no country can clearly define, but countries, including China, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei have all come forward to claim the 'sovereignty' of these islands and maritime boundaries and in wanting to protect such maritime territorial rights.
Nevertheless, in 2002, the countries involved in the sovereignty disputes of islands in the South China Sea have at least reached an agreement to say that no country should use military power as a solution to end the dispute of the territorial rights to these islands. These countries also said they would jointly develop the marine resources in the South China Sea.
New Challenge
Under the premise of 'peaceful development,' although all countries involved in the sovereignty disputes over the islands in the South China Sea are unwilling to give up their 'sovereignty' on these islands, but they also do not want to involve in some kind of conflict or confrontation with one another. As such, in the past years, countries involved in the South China Sea conflicts could still basically keep peace with one another.
But the situation in the South China Sea has since changed. Facing new challenge and new impact, the balance of peace achieved by these countries in the past might eventually lose the needed balance of peaceful coexistence.
In the first place, the world natural resources are getting less and less. As such, to each and every nation, natural resources have also become more and more precious to them. For countries to sustain and advance in economic development, they have to depend on new energy resources to sustain their economic growth. Since the South China Sea is rich in oil and gas resources, countries surrounding the South China Sea can no longer control or hide their desire in wanting to carry out their respective oil exploration projects in wanting to extract the rich oil and gas resources in South China Sea instead of waiting for the day when all can jointly develop the rich natural resources there as agreed upon earlier.
Second, in the past, the national strength and ability of countries surrounding the South China Sea were limited. These countries did not have the strength to handle their respective domestic affairs let alone extending their national power to the far away ocean.
However, today, China's rapid economic growth has driven its military expansion. In addition to adding warships, fighter jets, submarines, missiles, China has also added aircraft carrier to its list of military equipment making it a major sea power. Making effort to strengthen its military force, China's sense of fighting spirit has also been uplifted. The voice of China's domestic hawkish camp is on the rise as day goes by. To China's hawkish group, the South China Sea is but an inland sea belonging to China and as such the South China Sea must be under the control of China.
Earlier this year, when China launched a massive military exercise in the South China Sea, the countries in the Southeast Asian region have already shown their concern over such a massive military exercise carried out by China.
The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries have indeed felt the pressure of the expanded military power of China. In response, all ASEAN countries also began to increase their respective military budget, to purchase more military equipment and weapons. They begin to carry out military procurement race.
In the end, the original consensus to maintain peace and balance of power in the South China Sea region has entered a state of precarious balance with new friction emerging in the South China Sea water one after another.
Long-Embedded Confrontation
In May 2011, some patrol officers from China's patrol ship forcibly cut broken the cables of Vietnam's oil exploration ship. This incident has triggered serious argument between Vietnam and China and led the two sides entering a deadlock argument over such maritime conflict in the South China Sea. After the confronting incident between the vessels from the two countries, the Chinese and Vietnamese Governments have also begun to accuse the other side for provocation and for creating issue with each other. The incident has also set off protests from the civil society in both the countries.
Of note is that between China and Vietnam, these two countries have long-embedded confrontational and rival sentiment toward each other. For a long period in the past, Vietnam and China have considered each other as potential adversaries. As such, once these two countries come out with any kind of conflict and dispute, it can easily get out of control.
For this reason, the2002 consensus agreed upon by countries in the South China Sea region in not wanting to use military means to resolve the sovereignty dispute in the South China Sea might come out with possible variables.
Significant Military Influence
However, because of the military strength of ASEAN countries can never match that of China's military power, ASEAN countries understand that they cannot engage in direct military confrontation with China.
The present situation in the South China Sea is conducive to US intervention. After the United States withdrew its major military base in the Philippines, the United States has lost significant military influence in the Southeast Asian region. But today, due to the shift in global geopolitical environment, major powers have again reexamined the strategic importance of this part of the world. In this regard, Vietnam, the Philippines and Singapore are countries that have expressed their positive desire to welcome the reentering of US military power to the South China Sea.
In the coming days, the United States and China are bound to twist their military arms to compete with each other in the South China Sea. In the end, what smaller countries surrounding the South China Sea can do in addition to taking or choosing sides to move closer either toward China and the United States, is, to hope for the best.

Tension in US-China Relations

Tension is on the rise between the United States and China over the issue of the US supply of arms to Taiwan. Trade and censorship on the Internet have already become disputed issues. The US decision to supply arms to Taiwan may further deteriorate relations between the two countries.
The United States has argued that supply of arms to the tune of $8.5 billion to Taiwan would help in bringing stability in the region. The argument itself is an evidence of cunning US moves. One wonders that if stockpile of arms in a country can lead to stability and peace, why are the United States and its allies raising the bogey of Iran producing the nuclear bomb, although Iran has repeatedly and categorically made it clear that it has no intention to become a nuclear power. Any way, this is a different issue. What justification is there in the US claim that should Taiwan have a huge stockpile of arms, it would lead to peace and stability in the region?

China's Influence, Prestige in Region
As a matter of fact, the US action is aimed at reducing China's influence and prestige in the region. It appears that the United States feels that if Taiwan possesses a huge stockpile of arms, it would bring about a balance of power between Taiwan and China, though such thinking is nothing more than self-deception. Truly, supply of arms to a country has always led to an atmosphere of war and deterioration in the situation. This is simply what the United States wants.
The United States, today, is passing through a major economic crisis. The US multinational companies and banks continue to go bankrupt. The purchasing power of the US citizens continues to decline. Opportunities to earn money through new discoveries have also slipped out of US hands because countries like Japan, China, and India are leaving the United States behind in this field also. Under the circumstances, the United States, the self-proclaimed champion of peace, is left with no option but to earn money through sale of arms, as it continues to be the biggest merchant of arms even until today. Business and trading of arms by the United States continues unabated in the name of the war against terrorism or regional stability, and even in the name of self-defense.

Pressure on China
The very aim behind supply of arms to Taiwan is not to bring about stability or peace in the region, but the United States is striving to kill many birds with one stone, which is symbolic of its duplicity. One of the aims is to boost its arms trade and earn money. The other is to give a severe jolt to China. Both the United States and China do not see eye to eye on several issues, and their differences are common knowledge. It is worth a mention that China lays its claim on Taiwan, maintaining that Taiwan is part of China.
Although there is an autonomous government ever since 1947, China warns that if Taiwan even talked about complete independence, China would carry out military action against the same. Clearly, the inclination is not correct and the international community may exert its pressure on China diplomatically, but should the United States supply arms to Taiwan, the situation may deteriorate further.

Impact of US Decision
In light of the US decision to supply arms to Taiwan, China has announced to ban on US companies dealing in arms and ammunitions, immediate suspension of military exchanges with the United States, and of cooperation it extends to the United States in different sectors. If China indeed acts on its announcement, it would certainly have an adverse and negative impact on China-US relations. This would not be a one sided impact, as these measures may harm the United States, but it would affect the Chinese industry also, because the United States is a major market for the Chinese goods. If the issue escalates further, it would have an adverse impact on Chinese export as well. Equally true it is that opening up such a front against China does not go in US interest either.
China has categorically said that the US-Taiwan defense deal would certainly have an adverse impact on the continuing cooperation between China and the United States. However, the rising tension and skirmish between the countries on the issue of supply of arms does not augur well for Asia, and also the region.