Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao attends the ASEAN-China Commemorative Summit on the sidelines of the ASEAN and Related Summits in Nusa Dua on the Indonesian island of Bali November 18, 2011. (Credit: Reuters/Sonny Tumbelaka/Pool)
Fri Nov 18, 2011
By Ben Blanchard
NUSA DUA, Indonesia (Reuters) - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said on Friday that "outside forces" had no excuse to get involved in a complex dispute over the South China Sea, offering a veiled warning to the United States and others not to stick their noses into the sensitive issue.
But Wen also struck a softer line during a summit with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, offering $10 billion in loans and lines of credit and saying China only wanted to be friends.
China claims a large swathe of the South China Sea, which straddles key shipping lanes and is potentially rich in energy resources.
Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei are the other claimants to parts of the sea, and along with the United States and Japan, are pressuring Beijing to try and seek some way forward on the knotty issue of sovereignty, which has flared up again this year with often tense maritime stand-offs.
Fri Nov 18, 2011
By Ben Blanchard
NUSA DUA, Indonesia (Reuters) - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said on Friday that "outside forces" had no excuse to get involved in a complex dispute over the South China Sea, offering a veiled warning to the United States and others not to stick their noses into the sensitive issue.
But Wen also struck a softer line during a summit with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, offering $10 billion in loans and lines of credit and saying China only wanted to be friends.
China claims a large swathe of the South China Sea, which straddles key shipping lanes and is potentially rich in energy resources.
Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei are the other claimants to parts of the sea, and along with the United States and Japan, are pressuring Beijing to try and seek some way forward on the knotty issue of sovereignty, which has flared up again this year with often tense maritime stand-offs.
7 comments:
Lately, Obama decided to put addtional 2,500 U.S Marines off northwest of Australia for permanant station. This is clearly an indication that America redirecting its interest from fighting terrorism to fighting China expansion starting from south of the region using South China Sea as a reason. As usual, America is policing the world to defense its interests. Of course, China saw this as America meddling in regional affair. Whatever the case, major military conflict could erupt over this issue. If we looked at past history not too long ago prior to WW2, Japan was quickly rising to power militarily and economically and overtook China and most of southeast Asia. America decided to intervene to pretect its interest through blockading Japan from accessing the seaway to Indonesia, in return Japan retaliated by bombing Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, which lead to fullscale war with Japan. The present situation between China and America is a reminiscent of that part of history. It is presenting itself a perfect recipe for war. God forbid, if there will be one. If there is, it will be a very bloody mess. This time, America is dealing with an enemy unlike that of Japan. Both America and China are capable of annihilating one another. It hard to say that America will guarantee itself a victory over China. There can only be one tiger in a mountain.
Unfortunately either china nor america is tiger. I have a feeling that the US and china can not avoid a war. The two nations have always disagree when it comes to international policies.
china will continue to strengthen their military might until they are certain that they ready to take on the US then china will act.
That might put and end to the super power US.
The US will regret for messing with the chinese.
The US regretted once for messing with the vietcong and they will regret again for helping the vietcong face off with china.
The US regretted once for messing with the vietcong and they will regret again for helping the vietcong face off with china.
China is nothing but a big bullies country who keep barking with tough word with no action. Their military technology is 10 to 20 years behind the US. They can not defeat the American
It is very dangerous for China and America to compete for strategic partnerships in the Asia-Pacific region because it could lead to arms race and armed confrontation in the region. China is very nervous about the U.S renewed close alliance with Australia when President Obama agreed to station American troop in Australia. Not only China, but Indonesia has also warned Australia about its agreement to allow the stationing of U.S troops on its soil because Indonesia sees this as a threat to its own security. China not only sees America's encroachment into its own backyard as a policy of containment of China's military, political and economic sphere of influence, but also as a military threat to China's security. China's influence in the Asia-Pacific region is gaining momentum and this makes America nervous also that it prompted America to re-assess its commitment to the region. The rivalry between China and the U.S could degenerate into a new Cold War between the Soviet Union and America from the 1950s to the late 1980s. True China is behind America in term of economic and military power, possibly 10-20 years behind, but China is catching up and could overtake America in no time. This is a possibility that America did not want to see and that's why it has re-assessed its policy in the Asia-Pacific region by diverting its attention and resources to the region.
How would Australia and the US react with the PLA marines station permanently in Sihanoukville?
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