To ease China-Asean tensions, find common cause in humanitarian aid

Disaster relief and public health emergencies are areas that offer opportunities for both parties to work together

A healthcare worker holding a dose of Sinopharm vaccine against Covid-19 in Jakarta, Indonesia. China has delivered nearly 200 million vaccine doses to the region as of September this year. PHOTO: REUTERS
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The South China Sea disputes between China and the South-east Asian claimant states continue to remain a thorn in relations between China and Asean.

How can Asean and China transform their existing diplomatic tools and cooperative mechanisms to ensure that, notwithstanding the existing territorial and maritime disputes, the bilateral relationship remains strong?

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