Opinion     

The South China Sea conundrum and prospects for the China-ASEAN FTZ

China Today, October 13, 2014

• In addition to disrupting East Asia integration, the U.S. also sets out to contain China's peaceful rise by using the South China Sea issue to hype the so-called "China Threat." By playing on historical issues in the region the U.S. stokes tension between China and some of its neighbors, utilizing the ensuing confusion to generate distorted international perceptions of China's justified defense of its sovereignty and legitimate rights and interests. The U.S. thus smears China's image of peaceful development by sowing misgivings throughout the international community about the country's development path, so scuttling regional cooperation with China.

  The U.S. is using the South China Sea issue to lure ASEAN off the course of cooperation with China. Its whipping up of confrontations between China and Vietnam and the Philippines has sent Sino-Vietnam and Sino-Philippines ties plummeting to rock bottom. Anti-China sentiment has infiltrated all corners of society in both countries. There have been multiple instances of Chinese citizens in the Philippines being shot, and massive anti-China riots have erupted in Vietnam. The U.S. is now doing all it can to help the two countries succeed in their claims through a joint statement from ASEAN. The aim is to spread anti-China sentiment emanating from the two countries throughout the multi-lateral platform. Divisions over relations with China are already apparent among ASEAN member nations. This signifies that that the organization is fragmenting and that its interests have been abducted, so inhibiting its further cooperation with China.

  Challenges to ASEAN

  There are three reasons why the U.S. can play on the South China Sea issue. The first is the absence of a new security cooperation framework in East Asia. Regional cooperation is confined to the economic sector. That in other realms is sluggish and fraught with problems harking back to the Cold War period. This is why the Cold War era alliance is still at work in Asia-Pacific today. Second is that of the inherent problems within ASEAN. The expansion of the organization brings into sharp relief the growing diversity of individual member states' strategic goals and interests, but there is scant coordination in this regard. Since Lee Kuan Yew, Datuk Seri Mahathir Bin Mohamad, and Haji Mohammad Suharto bowed out, the ASEAN leadership has weakened, and its efficient, coordinative system is gone. What's more, core members of the organization show waning interest in regional integration. Third is the question of balance between the two big powers, China and the U.S. Out of pragmatic concerns, ASEAN members hope to reap gains from both China and the U.S., namely, to gain economic benefits from China and security guarantees from the U.S. However, they would also like to see checks and balances between the two major countries that would give them more strategic autonomy and leeway.

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