New leaders to face foreign-policy issues

Improving ties with neighboring states is among the many emerging challenges in Chinese foreign policy in the next five years, as Beijing anticipates new leadership this month, experts from China and abroad said.

China should concentrate first on reassuring its neighbors, and the rest of the international community, of its intentions, said David Fouquet, a senior associate of the Brussels-based European Institute of Asian Studies.

"This 'strategic reassurance' must persuade the Asia-Pacific region that China will not behave aggressively or try to coerce its neighbors, even if the United States were not engaged in the region," he added.

Fouquet's comment came before China's annual meeting of the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, which will begin on Tuesday and will be a debut for the new leaders.

The meeting, which marks another major political event following the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in November, is attracting international attention.

It will see the election of a chairperson, vice-chairpersons, secretary-general and members of the 12th NPC Standing Committee, as well as the country's president and vice-president.

The NPC will also choose the premier and vice-premiers of the State Council, or China's cabinet, as well as State councilors, ministers for government departments, ministers in charge of commissions of the State Council, the governor of the People's Bank of China, an auditor-general, as well as the State Council's secretary-general.

Other foreign "China hands" agreed with Fouquet's opinion.

Nadine Godehardt, an associate at the Asia division of the Berlin-based German Institute for International and Security Affairs, said: "China needs to engage even more with her immediate neighborhood.

"The Chinese leadership should clearly articulate the goals and, more importantly, the limits of China's foreign policy. Hence, clear answers to questions like what are China's core interests and what is absolutely not negotiable for the Chinese leadership will actually improve China's image in the region and in the US," Godehardt said.

Otherwise, Godehardt added, China's neighbors will align themselves closer to the US and nourish US President Barack Obama's new foreign policy direction, the so-called pivot to Asia.