Geographicallocation
ThegeographiclocationofSoutheastAsiaisofspecialsignificance.Ontheonehand,itisthelowestlatitudeareainAsiaandtheequatorialpartofAsia;ontheotherhand,itisstranglingAsiaandAustralia.Thetransitionzonebetweenthisareaisclearlyreflectedintheclimateandthebiologicalworld;thisareaisalsotheintersectionofthePacificandtheIndianOcean.ThisgeographicallocationgivesSoutheastAsiaahotandhumidclimateandformsalushtropicalforest.Itistheareaandthesurroundingarea.Fundamentaldifferencesinotherregions.SoutheastAsiacanbedividedintotwomajorunitsintermsoftectonictopography,oneistherelativelystableIndia-Malayblock,andtheotheristhenewfoldmountainousareawithrelativelyactivecrustalchanges.Therearetwotypesofequatorialrainyclimateandtropicalmonsoonclimate.Thenaturalvegetationismainlytropicalrainforestandtropicalmonsoonforest,whichcanbedividedintotwosub-regions.
Hemispheredivision:Locatedintheeasternhemisphere,acrossthenorthernandsouthernhemispheres.ConnectingAsiaandOceania.
Latitudeandlongitudeposition:92°E~140°E,10°S~28°26N.MostoftheIndo-ChinaPeninsulahasatropicalmonsoonclimate,andmostoftheMalayIslandshaveatropicalrainforestclimate.
Landandsealocation:LocatedinthesoutheastofAsia.ItborderstheIndianOceantothewest,thePacificOceantotheeast,Oceaniatothesouth,andChinaandIndiatothenorth.
Topography
Harborsandstraits
CamRanhBay
TheGulfofSoutheastVietnam,famousinSoutheastAsiaThenaturalharbourislocatedonthesoutherncoastofPhuKhanhProvince.Theharbouris17kilometersdeepinland,32kilometerslongfromnorthtosouth,andabout16kilometerswide.Itissurroundedbymountains,shieldedbyislandsontheeast,andfacingthedeepsea.Itisanaturalharbour.TheharborisformedbythetwopeninsulasofChongkongMountainandPhoenixMountainintoagourd-shapedinnerandouterbay.JinlanBaycoversanareaof60squarekilometerswithawaterdepthgreaterthan16meters.Themouthofthebayisonly1,300meterswide,andthebayis20kilometerslongand6kilometerswide.Itcanberthlargeaircraftcarriersandhasanimportantstrategicposition.
Asearlyas1905,RussianshipsberthedatBaweiandCamRanh.CamRanhwasusedasaFrenchnavalbaseforalongtime.OccupiedbyJapaneseinvadersin1941.In1965,theU.S.ArmyestablishedanairbaseandothermilitaryfacilitiesontheCamRanhPeninsula.AfterVietnam'snationalreunificationin1975,itbecameasubmarinebase.
TheStraitofMalacca
TheStraitofMalaccaislocatedbetweentheMalayPeninsulaandtheIndonesianislandofSumatra.ItisalongandnarrowwaterwayconnectingtheSouthChinaSeaandtheAndamanSea.ThisindirectlycommunicatesthePacificandIndianOceans.ItisnamedaftertheancientcityofMalaccaneartheMalayPeninsula.
TheStraitofMalaccaisalongandnarrowwaterwayextendingfromthenorthwesttothesoutheast,withalengthof1,080kilometers.IftheSingaporeStraitattheeasternexitisincluded,thelengthis1,185kilometers.Thestraitistrumpet-shaped,withawidthof370kilometersattheexitofthenorthwestendandanarrowersectionatthesoutheastwithmanysmallislands.Thenarrowestpointisonly37kilometers.Thebottomofthestraitisflat,andthewaterdepthofthemainchannelisabout25to150meters,increasingfromsoutheasttonorthwest,andgenerallyallows200,000-tonshipstoenterandexit.AstheStraitofMalaccaislocatedneartheequator,thewindisweak,andthestraitisalwayscalmandcalm.Coupledwithacompletenavigationmarksystem,itisverysafetosail.
TheStraitofMalaccaisamajorshippingchannelfromEurope,Africa,theMiddleEast,andSouthAsiatoEastAsiaandOceania.Knownasthe"GibraltaroftheEast".Accordingtostatistics,morethan50,000shipspassthroughthestraiteveryyear,andanaverageofmorethan140shipspassthroughthestraiteveryday,makingtheStraitofMalaccaoneofthebusieststraitsintheworld.ItistheonlywayforSoutheastAsiatoconnectwithSouthAsia,WestAsiaandtheeastcoastofAfrica.SinceJapanimports90%ofitsoilfromAfricaandtheMiddleEasteveryyear,alargeamountofrawmaterialsandexportcommoditiesaretransportedthere,andtheStraitisregardedasJapan's"lifelineatsea."
Becauseoftheimportantstrategicpositionandeconomicvalueofthestrait,itwassuccessivelyoccupiedbyPortugal,theNetherlands,theUnitedKingdomandJapansincethe16thcentury.ItwasnotuntilafterWorldWarIIthattheStraitofMalaccawasownedbythecoastalcountries.In2013,theStraitwasjointlymanagedbyMalaysia,IndonesiaandSingapore.
InadditiontotheStraitofMalacca,therearealsosomestraitsbetweenthePacificandIndianOceans,buttheyareeithershalloworreefs,orlackofnavigationaidsduetoremotelocations,andaremostlylocatedintheterritorialwatersofIndonesia.Asaresult,internationalroutesrarelypassthrough,whichmakestheStraitofMalaccaactuallytheonlychannelconnectingthetwooceansforalongtime,makingitofhigheconomicandstrategicimportance.EspeciallysinceJapan’srisetotheworld’sthirdeconomicpowerinthe1960sandtherapiddevelopmentofothercountriesandregionsintheFarEast,thetradevolumebetweentheEastandtheWesthasrisensharply,andtheimportanceoftheStraitofMalaccahasthereforebecomemoreprominent.ThebusynessoftrafficandthecalculationofthequantityofcargocarriedaresecondonlytotheEnglishChannel,rankingsecondamong114navigablechannelsofinternationalsignificanceintheworld.
Locatedatthe"crossroads"ofAsiaandOceania,thePacificandtheIndianOcean,geographiclocationisveryimportant.RelyingontheStraitofMalacca,Singaporevigorouslydevelopsre-exporttradeandhasbecomeanimportantcargodistributioncenterintheworld.
TheStraitofMalaccaattheintersectionofthe"crossroads",exceptforthetwosidesofthestrait,whichenjoy12nauticalmilesofterritorialwatersandsmallislandswithinthestrait,whichalsoenjoyatleast12nauticalmilesofterritorialwaters,therestareexclusiveeconomiczones;TheterritorialwatersoftheStraitsenjoysovereigntyoverthewatersoftheexclusiveeconomiczoneoftheStraits.MalaccaisanimportantshippingchannelbetweenAsiaandEuropeandtheMiddleEast,anditcontrols25%oftheworld'smaritimetrade.Accordingtostatistics,nearlyhalfoftheworld’soiltankerspassthroughtheStraitofMalaccaeveryyear.KnownbytheJapaneseasthe"lifelineatsea."
MalaccaisanimportantshippingchannelbetweenAsiaandEuropeandtheMiddleEast,anditcontrols25%oftheworld'smaritimetrade.Accordingtostatistics,nearlyhalfoftheworld’soiltankerspassthroughtheStraitofMalaccaeveryyear.KnownbytheJapaneseasthe"lifelineatsea."Intheearly1970s,therewere40,000shipspassingthroughtheStraitofMalaccaeveryyear,including7,000inJapanand6,000intheUnitedKingdom.Sincethen,shippinginthestraithasdevelopedagain.From2010to2013,therewerecloseto100,000navigableshipseachyear,especiallytheincreasinglylargeships.SinceJapanbuilttheworld’sfirst150,000-ton-classshipin1966.SinceTokyoMaru,so-calledsupertankerswithlargertonnagehaveemergedinbatches.From2010to2013,asmanyas1,500-1600supertankersof180,000tonsormorepassedthroughtheStraitofMalacca.Suchabusyvoyage,coupledwiththelarge-scaleships,hasmadetheStraitofMalaccanarrower,therebyincreasingtheunsafefactorsinthevoyage.Inaddition,therearemanyshoalsintheStraitofMalacca.Amongthem,asmanyas37haveawaterdepthoflessthan23meters.Inaddition,shipwrecks,quicksand,silt,etc.makethechannelconditionsfrequentlychange,whichincreasesthepossibilityofaccidentsandcausesdamagetocoastalcountries.seriousthreat.Typically,in1975,thereweretwomajoroiltankerstrandingsorcollisions,andatotalof8,900tonsofoilwaslost.In1979,anoiltankercollidedwithanaircraftcarrierandlost10,000tonsofoil,causingseriouspollutioneachtime.
TheKraIsthmus
TheKraIsthmusislocatedinanarrowstripoflandbetweenChumphonandRanongprovincesinThailand.ItisthenarrowestplaceinthenorthernpartoftheMalayPeninsula,withawidthofonly56kilometers.ItisconnectedtotheIndochinaPeninsulainthenorthandtheMalayPeninsulainthesouth.Theareaofabout400kilometers(7°N-10°N)tothesouthoftheisthmusisThaiterritory.Thenarrowestpointismorethan50kilometers,thewidestpointisabout190kilometers,andthehighestThepointis75metersabovesealevel.Anditseastandwestcoastsarebedrockcoasts,withcalmwaves.WiththeadvancementoftheChina-ASEANFreeTradeAreastrategicpartnership,theKraCanalprojectisexpectedtobecomeareality.TheKaraCanalpreparationteamledbyLiugongGroup,XugongGroup,SanyHeavyIndustryandotherChinesecompanieshasbeguntooperate,andASEAN’s"DiamondDecade"willalsoreceivethebestgift.
Volcanoes
Therearemainly76activevolcanoessuchasMountTamboraandMountMayon.
TamboraVolcano(14photos)
InthenorthofSumbawaIsland,eastofJavaIsland,Indonesia,thereisaTamboraVolcanowhicheruptedin1815Atthetime,theenergyreleasedwasequivalentto80milliontimesthepoweroftheatomicbombthattheUnitedStatesdroppedonHiroshima,JapanattheendofWorldWarII,anditwasthemostviolentvolcaniceruptionknowntomankind.TheMalayArchipelagoisinaplacewherecrustalmovementisactive.Asthethreemajorplates(thePacificplate,theIndianOceanplateandtheAsia-Europeplate)squeezeagainsteachother,earthquakesareoftentriggered.Whiletheearth'scrustwasupliftingtoformmountains,hotundergroundmagmaalsosurgedupalongthecracksinthegroundanderuptedonthegroundtoformvolcanoes.
OnApril5,1815,MountTamboraonSumbawaIslanderupted.Theeruptingvolcanowasaccompaniedbyaloudbang,continuouslyspewinglargeamountsofashandgasintothesky.Thethickvolcanicashwillcompletelyblackentheskywithinarangeof480kilometersinthenext3days.AtnoononApril12,ontheislandofGuava,afewhundredkilometersawayfromthevolcano,theskywassodarkthatitwasalmostimpossibletoreachout.TamboravolcanostoppedejectinggasandashandpouredfromthecrateronJuly15,1815.Thelavaflowthatcamedownfloodedalargeareaoffarmlandatthefootofthemountainandthenflowedintothesea,arousingwatermist.Theearthquakeaccompaniedbythevolcaniceruptioncausedthesubmarinecrusttosinkandcausedatsunami.ThehugewaveswallowedthetownofTamboranexttothevolcano.NS.
Intheentireeruptionprocess,theupperpartofthevolcanolost70billiontonsofmountain,formingahugecraterwithadiameterofmorethan6000metersandadepthof700meters.Thevolcanoejectedatotalof60billiontonsofash.Thethicknessofthedepositgraduallybecomesthinnerfromneartofar.Atadistanceof400kilometersfromthevolcano,thevolcanicashisstill22cmthick.
In2013,MountTamborahadanothersmall-scaleeruption.Thisworldrecordvolcanohasbeensleepingallthetime.Perhapsitisaccumulatingpowerforthenexteruption.
Inadditiontothisvolcano,Indonesiahas76activevolcanoes.Therefore,Indonesiaisalsoknownasthe"volcanocountry".
Peninsulasandislands
JavaIsland
JavaIsland(Indonesian:Jawa,English:Java)isIndonesia’spolitical,Theeconomicandculturalcenter.Theislandareaislessthan7%ofthecountry,butitconcentratesmorethan65%ofthecountry’spopulationandindustrialproduction.Thetopographyoftheislandisdominatedbymountainsandhills.Coconutgroves,beaches,tropicalcropplantationsandmanyvolcanoesconstituteabeautifulpicture.Inthemiddleoftheislandistheworld'slargestancientstupa,Borobudur.Accordingtolegend,itwasbuiltbyhundredsofthousandsoffarmersandslavesin15years.Jakarta,thecapitalofIndonesia,islocatedinthenorthwestofJavaIsland,withapopulationofover8million,makingitthelargestcityinSoutheastAsia.
IndochinaPeninsula
TheIndochinaPeninsulaisnamedafteritislocatedsouthofChina.ThenorthernpartoftheIndo-ChinaPeninsulaisconnectedtoChina'smountainsandrivers.Theterrainishighinthenorthandlowinthesouth.Thehighmountainsandriversextendfromnorthtosouth,formingasurfaceformof"mountainsandriversdistributedinseries".IntheIndo-ChinaPeninsula,"mountainsandriversarealternatelydistributedinseries".Thenorthernparthasahigherterrain,andthemountainsspreadoutinapalm-likeshapetothesouth.Thelowerreachesoftheriverandtheestuaryarealluvialplains.MostoftheriversoriginateinsouthwesternChina.Theupperreachesarerushingamongloftymountainsandthewateristurbulent,whichcontainsabundanthydraulicresources;thedownstreamriverswiden,theflowslowsdown,andsedimentdeposits,formingvastalluvialplainsanddeltas.TheMekongisthelargestriverinSoutheastAsiaandthemostflowingthroughcountries.Theplainsanddeltasaredenselypopulatedandhavealonghistoryofdevelopment.TheyareimportantagriculturalareasinSoutheastAsia.ItisanimportantbusinessroutebetweentheShushenPoisonRoadandtheMaritimeSilkRoad.
MalayIslands
TheMalayIslandsarescatteredinthevastwatersbetweenthePacificandIndianOceans,withmorethan20,000islandsintotal.Mostislandshaveruggedterrain,numerousmountains,volcanoes,andearthquakes;theplainsaresmallandmostlydistributedincoastalareas.Indonesia,theworld'slargestarchipelago,hasmorethan400volcanoes,ofwhich77areactivevolcanoes,accountingfor1/6ofthenumberofactivevolcanoesintheworld,andisknownasthe"volcanocountry".TheMalayArchipelagohasruggedterrain,highterrain,andnarrowplainsalongthecoast.ItislocatednearthejunctionoftheAsia-EuropeplateandtheIndianOceanplate.Thecrustalactivityisunstableandthevolcanicseismicactivityisverystrong.Indonesiaisthecountrywiththemostvolcanoesintheworld.TheislandofJavaisrichinvolcanicashandthesoilisfertile.
SumatraIsland
Thesixthlargestislandintheworld,thesecondlargestislandinIndonesia,secondonlytoKalimantan(Borneo),andthelargestintheworldArchipelago-oneoftheislandsoftheGreaterSundaIslandstowhichtheMalayArchipelagobelongs,itseconomicstatusissecondonlytoJavaIsland.ThenortheastfacestheMalayPeninsulaacrosstheMalaccaStrait,theIndianOceantothewest,theSouthChinaSeatotheeastandtheislandofJavatothesoutheastandtheislandofJava.
KalimantanIsland
KalimantanIsland(KalimantanIsland),alsotranslatedasBorneo,Borneo(Borneo),isthethirdlargestintheworldIsland,partoftheMalayArchipelago.ItislocatedinthemiddleoftheMalayArchipelagoinSoutheastAsia,withSumatratothewest,Sulawesitotheeast,JavaSeaandJavaIslandtothesouth,andtheSouthChinaSeatothenorth.
Sulawesi
Sulawesi,partoftheMalayArchipelago,isalargeislandineasternIndonesia.Theislandhasapeculiarshape,extendingfromfourpeninsulastothenorth,northeast,southeastandsouth.Withmanymountainsanddeepvalleysandfewplains,itistheislandwiththelargestproportionofmountainousareainIndonesia.
NewGuinea
NewGuinea,partoftheMalayArchipelago,isthelargestislandinthePacificOceanandthesecondlargestislandintheworld(SecondonlytoGreenland),alsoknownasIrianIsland.TheeasternislandoftheMalayArchipelagoislocatedinthewesternPacificOceanandnorthernAustralia.ItislocatedonthesouthsideoftheequatorintheWesternPacificOcean,adjacenttotheMalayArchipelagoinSoutheastAsiatothewest,andfacingthenortheastoftheAustralianmainlandacrosstheArafuraSeaandtheCoralSeatothesouth.
MountainPeak
CarstenszPyramid,PuncakJayainIndonesian,wasformerlyknownasPuntjakSukarno,GunungCarstenszorMountCarstensz.Alsoknownas"PluPeak".ItisamountainlocatedinPapuaProvince,Indonesia.ItisthehighestpeakinOceaniaandthehighestislandpeakintheworld.Itis5,030metersabovesealevelandcoveredwithsnowandiceallyearround.
Rivers
BecausethenorthernpartoftheIndochinaPeninsulaistheQinghai-TibetPlateauwithanaverageelevationof4to5kilometers,mostriversonthepeninsulahaverapidwaterflowandhydropowerprojectscanbeconstructed.
MekongRiver
TheMekongRiverisanimportantinternationalriverinSoutheastAsia.ItoriginatedfromtheLancangRiverinChinaandflowsintotheIndochinaPeninsulaandwascalledtheMekongRiver.Themainstreamhasatotallengthof4,880kilometers,atotaldrainageareaof811,000squarekilometers,andanannualrunoffof463.3billioncubicmeters,rankingfirstamongriversinSoutheastAsia.Amongthem,about1,200kilometersisthenationalboundaryriver,includingtheChina-Burma,Myanmar-Lao,andLao-Thaisectionsoftheboundaryriver.
TheMekongRiveristhemostimportanttransnationalwatersysteminAsia.Asiaflowsthroughthecountrythemostrivers,the9thlongestriverintheworld.ThemainsourceisZhaqu,whichoriginatedinZaduoCounty,YushuTibetanAutonomousPrefecture,QinghaiProvince,China.ItflowsthroughChina,Laos,Myanmar,Thailand,CambodiaandVietnam,andflowsintotheSouthChinaSeainHoChiMinhCity,Vietnam.ExceptforChinaandMyanmar,thebasinsareallmemberstatesoftheMekongRiverCommission.TheupperMekongRiverisinChinaandiscalledtheLancangRiver,andthelowerdeltaisinVietnam.SinceVietnamhas9outletsoutoftheSouthChinaSea,itiscalledtheJiulongRiverinVietnam.
TheIrrawaddyRiver
TheIrrawaddyRiverisoneofthelargestriversinIndochinaPeninsulainAsiaandthelargestriverinMyanmar.InancientChina,itwascalledtheGreatJinshaRiverandLishui.Itsriversourcehastwobranches,theeastsourceiscalledEnmeiKaijiang,whichoriginatedfromthesouthernfootoftheBosulaMountaininChayuCounty,China(calledtheDulongRiverinYunnan,China),andthewesternsourceMailiKaijiangoriginatedinMyanmarThenorthernmountains.
SalweenRiver
SalweenRiver(Salween),ariverinSoutheastAsia,alsoknownasDanlunRiver,thepartthatflowsthroughChinaiscalledNuRiver.
Climate
Tropicalscenery
SoutheastAsiaislocatedinthetropics,andmostoftheIndo-ChinaPeninsulahasatropicalmonsoonclimate.Therearedryandrainyseasonsthroughouttheyear.ThecropsareaverageSowintherainyseasonandharvestinthedryseason.MostareasoftheMalayArchipelagohaveatropicalrainforestclimate,withhightemperatureandrainallyearround,anddensetropicalrainforestsaredistributed.Cropsaresownatanytimeandharvestedinallseasons.
SoutheastAsiahasdenseprimitivejungles,beautifultropicalbeaches,numeroushistoricalsites,anduniquecustoms.Theyattracttouristsfromallovertheworldwiththeiruniquecharm.TourismhasbecomeSingapore,Thailand,andMalaysia.Importantindustriesinothercountries.
Distribution
10°N-10°Sistropicalrainforestclimate;10°N-20°Nisdominatedbytropicalmonsoonclimate;thereisasmallareaofalpineplateauclimateinthenorthernpartofIndochinaPeninsula.
Naturalresources
Mineralresources
PetroleumandtinarethemainmineralsinSoutheastAsia.Hereistheworld'slargesttinorebelt,andtheoutputoftinoreinMalaysiaranksfirstintheworld.IndonesiaisanimportantexporterofoilandnaturalgasinSoutheastAsia.
Tropicalcashcrops
SoutheastAsiaistheworld’slargestproduceroftropicalcashcropssuchasrubber,oilpalm,coconutandabaca.Malaysiaistheworld'slargestpalmoilproducerandexporter,Thailand'srubberproductionranksfirstintheworld,andthePhilippinesistheworld'slargestproducerofcoconuts.
Foodcrops
RiceisthemainfoodcropinSoutheastAsia.Ithasalonghistoryofplantingandismainlydistributedinfertileplainsanddeltaregions.Thisisthemostimportantrice-producingareaintheworld.Thailand,MyanmarandVietnamarethemostimportantrice-producingandexportingcountriesintheworld.
Vegetation
Tropicalrainforestclimate:southernMalayPeninsulaandmostoftheMalayIslands;vegetation:tropicalrainforest.
Tropicalmonsoonclimate:IndochinaPeninsulaandnorthernPhilippineIslands;Vegetation:tropicalmonsoonforest.
Populationandreligion
Population
SoutheastAsiaisoneofthemostdenselypopulatedregionsintheworld,withatotalpopulationof625million(2014).Thepopulationfeatureisdenselypopulated,withmanyChineselivinginconcentratedcommunities.Thepopulationismostlydistributedintheplainsandestuarinedeltas.SoutheastAsiancountriesaremulti-ethniccountries,withmorethan90ethnicgroupsintheregion.Theraceismainlyyellow.SoutheastAsiaisalsooneoftheregionswiththehighestconcentrationofforeignChineseandoverseasChineseintheworld.
Religion
Philippines
RomanCatholic(80%),Islam(5%),Christianity(Evangelical)(2.8%),ChristChurch(2.2%),IndependentPhilippineChurch(2%),otherChristiandenominations(3%),others(Philippinesprimitivefaith,MahayanaBuddhism,Judaismandnon-religiouspeople)(5%)
Vietnam
MahayanaBuddhism(81%),RomanCatholicism(5%),TheravadaBuddhism(2%),CaoDaiism(1%),Protestantism(1%),others(animism,Harmony,Islamandnon-religiouspeople,etc.)10%
Cambodia
TheravadaBuddhism(95%),Islam,Christianityandanimism(5%)
Laos
TheravadaBuddhism(65%),animism(32.9%),Christianity(1.3%),others(0.8%)
Thailand
TheravadaBuddhism(94.6%),Islam(4.6%)),Christianity,etc.(0.8%)
Myanmar
TheravadaBuddhism(89%),Christianity(4%),Islam(4%),Animism(1%),Others(2%)
Malaysia
Islam(58.4%),MahayanaBuddhism(22.2%),Christianity(9.1%),Hinduism(6.1%),animism(5.2%)
Singapore
Buddhism(42.5%),non-religiouspeople(15%),Islam(15%),Protestantism(10%),Taoism(8%),RomanCatholicism(4.5%),Hinduism(4%),others(1%)
Indonesia
Islam(86.1%),Protestantism(5.7%),RomanCatholicism(3%),Hinduism(1.8%),others(Buddhismandnon-religiouspeople)(3.4%)
Brunei
Islam(67%),Buddhism(13%),Christianity(10%),other(primitivebeliefs)Etc.)(10%)
EastTimor
RomanCatholic(90%),Islam(5%),Protestantism(3%),others(Buddhism,Hinduism,etc.)(2%)
Countries
SoutheastAsiaiscomposedoftheIndochinaPeninsulaandtheMalayIslands.Thereare11countries,including:
Vietnam(capitalHanoi),
Laos(capitalVientiane),
Cambodia(capitalPhnomPenh),
Thailand(capitalBangkok),
Myanmar(thecapitalNaypyidaw),
Malaysia(capitalKualaLumpur),
Singapore(capitalSingapore),
Indonesia(capitalJakarta),
Brunei(capitalSriBagawanCity),
Philippines(thecapitalManila),
EastTimor(thecapitalDili)(May20,2002,theDemocraticRepublicofEastTimorwasformallyestablished),
ExcludingtheSouthChinaSeaZhudao,mostoftheSouthChinaSeaisChina'sexclusiveeconomiczone,andtheSouthChinaSeaZhudaoisChineseterritory,notinSoutheastAsia.
CountriesintheworldareusedtocallingthefivecountriesofVietnam,Laos,Cambodia,Thailand,andMyanmarthe"landcountries"or"peninsulacountries"inSoutheastAsia.
Malaysia,Singapore,Indonesia,Brunei,andthePhilippinesarereferredtoasthe"maritimecountries"or"islandcountries"inSoutheastAsia.
In1967,a"groupofcountries"appearedinSoutheastAsia.Thisisthe"AssociationofSoutheastAsianNations"("ASEAN"forshort).Ithas10membercountriesandanareaofabout4.47millionsquarekilometers.,Withapopulationofabout560million.
Thereareabout33.486millionoverseasChineseandethnicChineseintheregion,accountingforabout6%ofthetotalpopulationofSoutheastAsia,andabout73.5%ofthe45.43millionoverseasChineseintheworld.Amongthem,thenumberofChineseimmigrantsandtheirdependentswhoenteredSoutheastAsiaafterthe1980swasatleast2.5million.Therearealsomorethan2millionIndiansandmorethan1millionimmigrantsfromothercountries.
SoutheastAsiaisoneofthemostdynamicandpotentialregionsforeconomicdevelopmentintheworldtoday.
Economy
Developmentandproblems
SoutheastAsiancountriesexceptSingaporearealldevelopingcountries.SoutheastAsiancountrieshaveabundantnaturalresourcesandhumanresources,whichprovidegoodconditionsforeconomicdevelopment,andhaveformedanagriculturalareatypedominatedbymonsoonpaddyfarmingandtropicalplantations.Buttheeconomicstructureisrelativelysimple.Sincethe1960s,countrieshavedevelopedaneconomicdevelopmentmodelthatcombinesanexport-orientedmarketeconomywithstateintervention.Themaincontentsinclude:
1.Vigorouslydevelopthemanufacturingindustry.Generally,priorityisgiventothedevelopmentoflabor-intensivelighttextileindustryandassemblyindustrywithfastcapitalturnover;
2.Expandtheproductionandexportofagriculturalandmineralproducts.
SoutheastAsiaisoneofthemostdynamicandpotentialregionsforeconomicdevelopmentintheworldtoday.TheeconomiesofSoutheastAsia,exceptSingapore,areallbackward.Inthefuturenewworldpoliticalandeconomicstructure,SoutheastAsia'sroleandstrategicpositioninpoliticsandeconomywillbecomemoreimportant.SoutheastAsiaisChina'ssouthernneighbor,andhasbeenChina'sindispensableplacetotheworldsinceancienttimes.Inhistory,mostcountrieshavefriendlyexchangeswithChinaandhaveclosepolitical,economic,andculturalrelations.Inthelonghistoryofexchanges,theChinesepeopleandthepeoplesofSoutheastAsiahaveforgedadeepfriendship.InthefuturehistoryIntheprocess,withtherapideconomicdevelopmentandsocialprogressofChinaandSoutheastAsiancountries,bilateralandmultilateralfriendlyandcooperativerelationswillalsoenterahistoricalperiodofcontinuousdevelopmentandcloser.
Economicdifferences
Theeconomicdevelopmentleveloftheregionisquitedifferent.
Singaporeisprosperingandprogressing.Thestandardoflivinghasreachedthestandardsofdevelopedcountries.Theeconomyisdominatedbyservice,finance,technology,shipping,logistics,andtourism.Itisalsoactivelydevelopinghightechnologyandeducation.
Vietnam,thePhilippines,andIndonesiaarerelativelybackwardeconomies,andtheireconomiesfocusontourism,basicmanufacturing,agricultureandfisheries.
Thailand,Vietnam,andMyanmarareimportantrice(rice)exportersintheworld.
Indonesiaisanimportantoilexporter.MalaysiaandBruneialsoproducemoreoil.
Thailand,Malaysiaandothercountrieshavethehighesttinproductionintheworld.
Indonesia,Thailand,andMalaysiaareallmajorrubberproducingcountries.
Tropicalcrops
Mainly:rice,rubber,coconut,abaca,oilpalm
Others:jute,tea,coffee,cocoa,sugarcanetea,tobacco,Pepper,frozenfish,frozenshrimp,mungbean,quinine,kapok,palmoil,sandalwood,shellac,cottonandvarioustropicalfruits
distribution
Thereare11countriesinSoutheastAsia:
Vietnam:Thecashcropsincludenaturalrubber,jute,sugarcane,coffee,tea,tobacco,pepper,etc.
Laos:Economiccropsincluderubber,coffee,shellac,andcotton.
Cambodia:Economiccropsincluderubber,pepper,cotton,tobacco,sugarpalm,sugarcane,coffee,andcoconut.
Thailand:Economiccropsincluderubber,sugarcane,mungbean,hemp,frozenfish,frozenshrimpandvarioustropicalfruits.
Myanmar:economiccropsincludecotton,jute,rubber,sugarcane,tobacco,coffee,etc.
Malaysia:Agricultureisdominatedbycashcrops,mainlyrubber,oilpalm,pepper,cocoaandtropicalfruits.
Singapore:Singaporeisasmallcountrywithpoornaturalresources,almostnomineraldeposits,andnoimportantcashcrops.
Indonesia:mainlyrubber,coffee,palmoil,coconut,sugarcane,pepper,quinine,kapok,tealeaves,etc.
Brunei:Thereisasmallareaofrice,aswellastropicalcropssuchasrubber,pepper,andcoconut.
Philippines:Coconut,sugarcane,manilahempandtobaccoarethefourmajoreconomiccropsinthePhilippines.
EastTimor:Thecashcropsincludecoffee,rubber,sandalwood,coconutandsoon.
Importanttropicalcashcropproductionbase
Thailand,Vietnam,andMyanmarareimportantriceexportersintheworld.
Malaysiaistheworld'slargestpalmoilproducer.
ThePhilippinesistheworld'slargestproducerofabacaandexporterofcoconuts.
Thailandistheworld'slargestproducerofnaturalrubber.
Indonesiaistheworld'slargestcoconutproducer.
Rubberandoilpalm
Thelatexsecretedbytherubbertree,afterbeingcutfromthetree,afterprocessing,canbemadeintoindustrialnaturalrubber,Syntheticrubberwasinventedinthe1960s,butthequalityisnotasgoodasnaturalrubber.RubbertreesfromSoutheastAsiawereintroducedfromSouthAmericaintheearly20thcentury.
Thepulpandkernelofoilpalmarerichinoil.Amongvariousoilcrops,itisknownasthe"kingoftheworld".Theoilsqueezedfrompalmkernelsiscalledpalmoil.
Advantageousconditionsforagriculture
Inthesameperiodofclimate,rainandheat,vastterrainandplains,fertilesoil,sufficientwatersources,convenienttransportationandabundantlaborresourcesarefavorablefactors.
Becauseclimaticconditionsshouldbethemostbasicamongthemanynaturalconditions,non-tropicalareaswilldefinitelynotgrowtropicalcashcrops.
AsthemaintropicaleconomiccropsinSoutheastAsia,oilpalm,rubber,cinchona,etc.aresuitableforplantinginplainareas-andsomesuchasteatreesaresuitableformountainousareaswithgooddrainageconditions,buttheyarenotinSoutheastAsiaThemaincrops.
Inthesenaturalconditions,theinvestmentcostofclimateandterraintransformationistoohigh(climatetransformationiscommonlyusedingreenhouses,andterrainiscommonlyusedinterraces),whichhasbecomethefirstchoiceforgrowingtropicalcashcrops.Soilimprovementiseasier,andSoutheastAsia,whichiswetandrainy,hassuperiorwaterconditions.
PolicytowardChina
ChinahasestablisheddiplomaticrelationswithallASEANmembersandbecameacomprehensivedialoguepartnerofASEANin1996.Inrecentyears,China-ASEANrelationshavedevelopedsmoothly,withfrequenthigh-levelexchangesandincreasinglyclosepoliticalrelations.InDecember1997,PresidentJiangZeminattendedtheASEAN-China,Japan,andSouthKoreasummitinformalmeetingandheldaseparatemeetingwithleadersofASEANcountries.Thetwosidesissuedthe"China-ASEANSummitJointStatement",whichdeterminedthedirectionandguidingprinciplesoftheChina-ASEANpartnershipofgood-neighborlinessandmutualtrustinthe21stcentury.InDecember1998,VicePresidentHuJintaoattendedthesecondChina-ASEANLeadersInformalMeetingheldinHanoi.InNovember1999,November2000andNovember2001,PremierZhuRongjiattendedthethirdmeetinginthePhilippines,thefourthmeetinginSingapore,andthefifthChina-ASEANLeaders’MeetinginBrunei.
AttheFifthChina-ASEANLeaders’Meeting,thetwosidesagreedtoestablishaChina-ASEANFreeTradeAreawithin10years,andauthorizedeconomicministersandseniorofficialstostartnegotiationsassoonaspossible.PremierZhualsoproposedtoidentifyagriculture,informationindustry,humanresourcedevelopment,andthedevelopmentoftheMekongRiverBasinaskeyareasofcooperationbetweenChinaandASEANatthebeginningofthenewcentury,whichwasendorsedbyASEANleaders.InordertosupporttheASEANintegrationprocess,PremierZhuannouncedthatitwillprovidespecialpreferentialtarifftreatmenttothethreeleastdevelopedcountriesamongtheASEANmembers,namelyLaos,MyanmarandCambodia.
ChinaandASEANalsoholdannualforeignministers’meetings,seniorofficials’consultations,andsenioreconomicofficials’meetings.ThetwosideshaveestablishedamechanismfortheMinisterofTransport.Inaddition,thetwosideshaveadialogueframeworksuchastheChina-ASEANJointEconomicandTradeCommittee,theChina-ASEANJointCommitteeonScienceandTechnology,theChina-ASEANJointCooperationCommitteeandtheASEANBeijingCommittee.InNovember2001,theChina-ASEANBusinessCouncilwasestablished.
ChinaandASEANstartedthedialogueprocessin1991.Aftermorethan20yearsofjointefforts,thepoliticalmutualtrustbetweenthetwosideshasbeensignificantlyenhanced,economicandtradecooperationhasachievedremarkableresults,andcooperationinotherareashasbeencontinuouslyexpandedanddeepened.China-ASEANrelationsarefullofvitalityandhavebroadprospectsfordevelopment.
In2010,theChina-ASEANFreeTradeAreawasfullycompleted.
ChinaisASEAN’slargesttradingpartner,andASEANisChina’sthirdlargesttradingpartner.
In2013,thebilateraltradevolumereachedUS$443.6billion.
In2014,thetwosidesagreedtostartnegotiationsontheupgradedversionoftheChina-ASEANFreeTradeArea.
TheChina-ASEANExpoandtheBusinessandInvestmentSummithavebeenheldinNanning,Guangxieveryyearsince2004.TheyhavebeensuccessfullyheldfortentimesandhavebecomeanimportantplatformforChina'seconomicexchangeswithASEANcountries.
In2015,thesigningceremonyoftheoutcomedocumentsoftheChina-ASEANFreeTradeAreaupgradenegotiations.
OnNovember22,2015,PremierLiKeqiangoftheStateCouncilandtheleadersofthe10ASEANcountrieswitnessedtheoutcomedocumentmarkingthecompleteendoftheChina-ASEANFreeTradeAreaupgradenegotiationsattheKualaLumpurInternationalConventionCenter.ThesigningceremonyoftheProtocolbetweentheRepublicandtheAssociationofSoutheastAsianNationsontherevisionofthe"China-ASEANComprehensiveEconomicCooperationFrameworkAgreement"andsomeoftheagreementsthereunder.
In2016,mutualinvestmentbetweenthetwopartiescontinuedtoadvance.
AsoftheendofMay2016,thecumulativetwo-wayinvestmentbetweenChinaandASEANhasexceeded160billionU.S.dollars.ASEANisthemaindestinationforChinesecompaniestoinvestabroad.Chinesecompanies’investmentmainlyinvolvestrade,logistics,construction,energy,Manyfieldssuchasmanufacturingandbusinessservices.
Travelmatters
1.EachpersoncantakenomorethanUSD5,000orotherforeignexchangeandRMB20,000toleavethecountry.
2.ThetemperatureinSoutheastAsiancountriesisaround33℃.Pleasebringsummerclothesandalong-sleevedjacket.
3.ThefoodinSoutheastAsiancountriesishotandsour.Pleasebringasmallamountofmedicine.
4.Guestswithmotionsicknessorseasicknessbringtheirownmotionsicknessspirit.
5.PleasebringyourIDcardwhenyouleavethegroup(pleasebringyourbirthcertificateoraccountbookwhenyouaretravelingwithyourchild);ifyouareacompatriotfromHongKongandMacao,youmustalsobringthe"HomecomingPermit"or"HomecomingCard",TaiwanCompatriotsalsocarrythe"TaiwanCompatriotPermit"forboardinginspection.
6.Ordinaryautomaticcamerascanbetakenoutofthecountrybythemselves.Fordigitalcameras,high-endprofessionalcameraswithinterchangeablelenses,videocameras,andlaptops,pleaseregistertoexitthecountrytoavoidtaxationwhenreturningtoChina.
7.WhenvisitingtheGrandPalaceinThailand,womencannotwearsleevelesstops,skirtsandtrousersshouldbeaslongastheankles,andmencannotwearshortsorslippers.
8.WhenvisitingGentingHighlands,Malaysia,gentlemenarerequestedtowearlongtrousersandclothingwithcollars,butnoopen-toedshoes.Ladiesshouldnotwearoverlyrevealingclothes,suchassuspenders.
9.WhenenteringSingapore,eachpersoncanonlybringonepackofcigarettes.Thosewhochewchewinggumshouldpayattentiontopublichealthtoavoidbeingfined.
10.Accordingtocustomsregulations,itisprohibitedtobringbackhomeprintedmaterials,VCDsandotheritemsthatareharmfultoChina’spolitics,economy,culture,andmorals.
11.YoucanbringtwocigarettesandabottleofwinewhenyoureturntoChina.Freshfruitsandvegetablescannotbebroughtbacktoyourcountry.ReturningthroughHongKong,youcanbringacigaretteandabottleofwinewhenyouenterHongKong.
12.Valuablesanddocumentsmustbecarriedwithyou,pleasedonotputtheminyourluggage,andyouwillberesponsibleforloss.
13.Pleasetakegoodcareofyourtraveldocuments.Ifyoulosethem,youneedtogothroughtheformalitieslocally.TheborderinspectionwillimposeafineofRMB500-2000whenyouenterthecountry.
14.Beachswimmingisariskyactivity.Guestsshouldbringtheirownswimsuitsandchoosewateractivitiesaccordingtotheirownconditionsandpayattentiontosafety.
15.Generalhotelscanuse220volts(Thailand:two-pinflat-pinplug,SingaporeandMalaysia:Britishthree-pinplug).
16.Itisveryconvenienttoexchangeforeigncurrencieslocally.Majorbankshaveforeignexchangepointsinairports,touristattractionsandlargeshoppingmalls.
17.IfChinaTelecom’smobilephoneisenabledforinternationalroaming,itcanbeusedinSingapore,Thailand,andMalaysia.ForacalltoChina,dialinthefollowingorder:[+]+[86]+[areacode]+[Telephonenumber](basedonroamingtothelocaloperator)
18.UnionPaycards(cardnumberstartingwith62)havebeenopenedin10countriesinSoutheastAsia.Amongthem,mostoftheduty-freeshops,restaurants,hotels,etc.inIndonesiacanacceptUnionPaycards;over80%ofmerchantsinVietnamacceptUnionPaycards;over60%ofmerchantsinSingaporeacceptUnionPaycards,andATMsarebasicallycovered;Malaysia,Thailand,thePhilippines,andVietnamATMcoverageaccountsforabout90%,andthenumberofmerchantsisincreasing.