International Crisis Group
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Did the Game Just Change in the South China Sea? (And What Should the U.S. Do About It?) | Yanmei Xie & Andrew S. Erickson
The game has changed. By sending a military aircraft to take a close-up view of the outposts China is constructing and stating it “will fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows,” the U.S. appears to have drawn a red line for Beijing.
Washington demonstrated its substantive investment in freedom of navigation and open access to Asia’s maritime commons and displayed resolve to counter threats to them. The message, delivered via the navy, will discredit a calculation by some Chinese and regional actors that the U.S. is unwilling or incapable of delivering more than verbal protests, because it is distracted by crises in other parts of the world. It may also stiffen the spines of other players, most importantly the Association of South East Asia Nations (ASEAN).
FULL ARTICLE ( via China File)
Photo: Aljazeera English
Source: China File
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Why China won’t turn the other cheek over foreign policy | CNN
By Stephanie Kleine-Ahlbrandt
Beijing (CNN) – China’s change of leadership that began last week comes as domestic pressure mounts for the world’s second largest economy to toughen its foreign policy to match its economic might.
Yet Beijing is keen to prevent the world from concluding that China has discarded the notion of a peaceful rise. The result has been reactive assertiveness; a foreign policy tactic perfected during China’s ongoing maritime disputes. This approach allows Beijing to use perceived provocations as a chance to change the status-quo in its favor – all the while insisting the other party started the trouble. Those expecting China to turn the other cheek are mistaken.
Photo: nznationalparty/Flickr
