MANILA, Philippines — The acknowledged Father of Singapore weighed in on the long-standing maritime disputes in the South China Sea, particularly that of China and the Philippines.
Lee Kuan Yew said the claims of the Asian power and its Southeast Asian neighbor will not meet on the same grounds and a resolution seems far-fetched.
“The disputes, which arise from claims based on different principles, are unlikely to be resolved,” Lee said in an essay for Forbes Magazine‘s April 14, 2014 issue.
Lee explained that China does not see itself becoming a global leader without control of virtually the entire South China Sea, where a third of the world’s trade passes through.
“Much more is at stake than rocks and resources. China sees the South China Sea as one of its key interests. A rising China is asserting its position by claiming historical rights to these waters,” he said.
The Philippine-initiated arbitration through the United Nations tribunal, meanwhile, is a juridical platform that major global powers such as China and the United States do not submit to, Lee said.