Foreign Policy
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A “Weak” America is Making Asia Uneasy
Chinese actions in maritime Asia are raising questions about American willingness and ability to act decisively in the region. That ambiguity is bad news for members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), traditionally dependent on the U.S. security umbrella and more recently enjoying rapid expansion of trade with China. Chinese perceptions of American […]
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Is Indonesia shifting its South China Sea policy?
A Jakarta think-tank intellectual was once asked whether Beijing listens when Jakarta speaks. He responded emphatically: ‘Oh yes! The problem is we don’t say enough’. In the post-authoritarian era, Indonesian officials, like many of their Southeast Asian counterparts, have tended to self-censor when it comes to China, avoiding public criticism while benefiting from considerable Chinese […]
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Does the US Have ‘Trump Cards’ Over China?
China, Diplomatic Relations, East China Sea, Economy, Foreign Policy, South China Sea Dispute, Trade, USAAlthough the war bugle has yet to be sounded, the increasingly confrontational tensions between China and the U.S. over a series of regional issues seem to indicate that both sides are trying to test the other’s red lines. Each side hopes to be able to lay significant strategic weights or threats on the other side […]
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The end of China’s soft power?
he views expressed in this article are the author’s own and not necessarily those of China Daily Mail: “Will China invade its neighbours?” This is a question I tend to be bombarded with whenever I present lectures or attend talks on East Asian affairs. From Tehran to Tokyo, one can sense the growing anxiety towards […]
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When is a rock not a rock?
Arbitration, China, Diplomatic Relations, Foreign Policy, Memorial, Philippines, South China Sea Dispute, UNCLOS, USAWASHINGTON: A diplomatic standoff between China and the Philippines that flared up two years ago in a dispute over fishing rights at a tiny shoal in the South China Sea is coming to a head after Manila decided to ignore Chinese threats and sue Beijing in an international tribunal. The legal case marks the first […]
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East/South China seas: The strategy is failing
It now seems reasonable to assume that China will continue to ramp up the pressure on the disputed islands across the East and South China Seas until it owns them. The latest moves against the Philippines and Indonesia, and on over-fishing, are just the most recent steps towards eventual possession. If we wish to prevent […]
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Palace: Let China interpret US-PH talks
MANILA, Philippines – It will be up to China to interpret the ongoing talks on enhancing military cooperation between the Philippines and the United States, Malacanang said yesterday. “Let China interpret that… We don’t need to send a message. The medium is the message,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said when asked if the government was […]
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Malaysia joins forces with Philippines and Vietnam against China in sea dispute
China, Diplomatic Relations, Foreign Policy, Malaysia, Militarization, Philippines, President Benigno Aquino III, South China Sea Dispute, USA, VietnamThe submerged reef would be easy to miss, under turquoise seas about 80 km (50 miles) off Malaysia’s Borneo island state of Sarawak. But two Chinese naval exercises in less than a year around the James Shoal have shocked Malaysia and led to a significant shift in its approach to China‘s claims to the disputed […]
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US position hardens on China’s nine-dashed line
In January 2013, senior US Navy intelligence officer Captain James Fanell described China’s maritime strategy and ambitions as ‘hegemonic’ and aggressive, and said China ‘bullies adversaries’. This unusually blunt assessment made news around the world. Sam Roggeveen, who broke the story for The Interpreter, described Fanell’s comments as ‘bracing.’ While it did not receive quite […]