JAKARTA - Two differing views emerged from discussions at an international relations forum on Wednesday (Feb 13) on what kind of concept the new regional Indo-Pacific initiative should adopt: should it stress common values, such as democracy and human rights, or should it go bold on shared interests like economic benefits.

Experts and academics promoting the adoption of values said it would help to address dysfunctional democracy and the many severe human rights violations taking place in Asia today, while the opposing camp argued that the idea of promoting democracy could appear to sideline China.