The Second China-ASEAN Trade Fair was held in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, from October 19 to 22. It is just the right time to talk about its achievements in autumn. The trade fair is not only a huge economic platform for implementing and promoting a China-ASEAN free trade area, but also a "psychological massager" between China and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations).

It goes without saying that the results of the trade fair are first of all economic by nature. The trade fair has set up a platform for boosting trade contacts between China and ASEAN, especially for Guangxi in west China, and for ASEAN's less developed member countries of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar to get rid of poverty and lead a better-off life. ASEAN Secretary-General Heong Keng Yong said at the opening ceremony that in a more open trading environment, there will be a broader market space for exporters and importers of agricultural products in various countries, the pressing task at the moment is to bring them in. The China-ASEAN trade fair has brought tremendous business opportunities for these enterprises and has provided a broader platform for multilateral trade. Chinese Commerce Minister Bo Xilai said in his address that China is willing to make common efforts with the economic and trading departments of various ASEAN member countries and the association's secretariat to provide quality services for the clients from various countries, so as to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results. It is estimated that the cooperative, investment and trade accounts reached at the present trade fair will far outnumber those in the first trade fair last year.

A more important achievement is that the trade fair is playing the role of a "psychological massager".

Around the time of China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, ASEAN member countries were worried that China would further grab foreign capital and Chinese commodities would flood into Southeast Asian countries. At the same time, rumor about "China economic threat" suddenly arose. How to allow more commodities from ASEAN into China? The then Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji put forward an idea on the establishment of a China-ASEAN free trade area. At present, the China-ASEAN free trade area is under smooth construction, bilateral trade volume exceeded US$100 billion last year. What's more, Premier Wen Jiabao further proposed establishing a China-ASEAN trade fair and making it a platform and window for the entry of ASEAN commodities. With this opportunity placed before them, visitors naturally swarmed in from all directions and returned with satisfaction.

As the saying goes, the rise of an advantage will necessarily give birth to a disadvantage. China's rapid development is bound to bring a psychological fall in neighboring countries. In comparison, surrounding small and medium-sized countries will have a "relative sense of being deprived", that is, their own progress is slower, their interests are smaller and their positions are lower, than that of China, etc., so they have a frightful sense and the "China threat theory" thus has a market. If China had taken these factors into consideration ahead of time and had correspondingly striven for "initiative", instead of "passively" taking actions to concede profits, then trust would increase and doubts would be cleared up, so a sense of security would come about, and the "China opportunity theory" would come into being. This is the diplomatic effect produced by the trade fair.

What mature diplomacy solves are usually psychological problems between countries. The "theory", be it the "China threat theory" or the "China opportunity theory", is the psychological experience of various countries, especially the surrounding countries, which is related to China's rise. Psychological change is like a pendulum swinging between acceptance and fright. If the neighboring countries feel that China's rising means an opportunity, they would have a receptive psychology of recognition, resistance to China's rise would decrease correspondingly. If neighboring countries feel that China's rising means a threat, they would have a psychology of fear and thus put the threat under check, then resistance to China's rise would increase correspondingly. Therefore, an ideal diplomacy is like a psychological massager that will make the other side feel comfortable.

Therefore, one important factor determining which "theory" enjoys popular support, the "China threat theory" or the "China opportunity theory", is that in its peaceful development, China, through its actual actions, makes concerted efforts with the neighboring countries to create a win-win situation. It is thus clear we don't need to feel indignant at the "China threat theory", nor do we need to feel complacent with the "China opportunity theory". That is the achievement and deep-seated enlightenment given us by the trade fair.

Published on the front page of People's Daily Overseas Edition on October 20, the above article is translated by People's Daily Online; The author Zhai Kun is director of the Southeast Asia and Oceania Research Office under the Research Institute on China Modern International Relations