America's 'Asia rebalance' has its limits

By Shen Dingli
0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, November 27, 2012
Adjust font size:
Digging in the wrong garden [By Jiao Haiyang/China.org.cn]

 Digging in the wrong garden [By Jiao Haiyang/China.org.cn]



After winning reelection, US President Barack Obama turned his attention to Asia. With his recent trip to Southeast Asia, where the US is keen to reassert its influence, he has continued to stress his "Asia rebalancing" strategy. America wants to make sure that the center of gravity in the region doesn't shift too much toward China.

By touring Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia, President Obama continues to weave his network of ASEAN states, some of whom are China's close friends, in order to check Beijing. In the words of his top national security aide, such a move inevitably carries the message of "competition".

Obviously, these states welcome the increased attention from the US. If this US-China competition will bring them more benefit, why shouldn't they go along? They are conscious, however, not to take sides so they will not be hurt in the long run.

In fact, over the past few decades, these states have established closer ties with China as compared to the US in terms of trade. Until recently, Myanmar, which previously faced US sanctions, had to cooperate closely with China. Cambodians still remember US-backed coup d'état in 1970 which toppled their beloved king.

Although this US "rebalancing" is meant to counter China's rising influence in the region, the question remains, has China unfairly taken advantage of Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia in recent years? It is true that the Philippines and Vietnam have complained about China's "unfairness" in handling certain disputes; however, there has been no similar charge from the three states Obama just toured.

It is notable that President Benigno Aquino III of the Philippines openly disagreed with the Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen that a majority of ASEAN nations agreed that the South China Sea territorial dispute should be settled within the ASEAN-China framework. Aquino pointed out that in addition to the ASEAN-China framework, several additional approaches to settling these disputes should exist. While he tried to leave other venues open, Aquino undermined the importance of ASEAN-China frame as key multilateral approach.

US re-shifting has misled the Philippines and possibly Vietnam to demand "more" while instead ignoring something seemingly "less" but actually much more substantial. An ASEAN consensus for talking to China on the South China Sea is unprecedented ― the Philippines will regret jeopardizing its own opportunity.

As the Philippines seems to be assembling a group of four nations – Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and itself – to talk to China, it intends not to use ASEAN as a whole, which, as Cambodia has argued, can serve as an institution to engage China collectively.

America's rebalancing has indeed generated a certain outcome – ASEAN has changed from refusing to touch the  South China Sea issue, in the context of some of its claimants' disputes with China, to an organization more willing to engage in China as an entity. Thus far, China has been insisting on bilateral talks to settle such disputes.

1   2   Next  


Print E-mail Bookmark and Share

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)

No comments.

Add your comments...

  • User Name Required
  • Your Comment
  • Enter the words you see:   
    Racist, abusive and off-topic comments may be removed by the moderator.
Send your storiesGet more from China.org.cnMobileRSSNewsletter
主站蜘蛛池模板: 最新理伦三级在线观看| 精品视频vs精品视频| 国产精品日本一区二区在线播放| 一区二区免费视频| 无遮挡色视频真人免费| 久久综合香蕉国产蜜臀AV| 欧美日韩一二三| 国内精品卡1卡2卡区别| 久久精品国产亚洲一区二区| 欧美日韩综合网在线观看| 你是我的城池营垒免费看| 成人三级精品视频在线观看| 国产精品美女一区二区三区| 99热在线免费观看| 女朋友韩国电影免费完整版| 一线在线观看全集免费高清中文| 收集最新中文国产中文字幕| 亚洲国产成人超福利久久精品| 美国式禁忌免费| 国产不卡在线视频| 风韵多水的老熟妇| 国产高清在线看| GOGOGO高清在线观看中文版| 女女互揉吃奶揉到高潮视频| 三年片韩国在线观看| 无套进入30p| 久久一区二区精品| 日本乱偷人妻中文字幕在线| 亚洲情xo亚洲色xo无码| 波多野结衣家庭教师奇优| 伊人网综合在线视频| 真实男女xx00动态图视频| 国产午夜精品一区理论片 | 免费一级毛片在线播放傲雪网| 精品国产综合区久久久久久| 向日葵app看片视频| 免费观看无遮挡www的视频| 天干天干天啪啪夜爽爽AV| 一区二区三区精品视频| 少妇无码av无码专区线| 一本久久a久久精品vr综合|