Earlier this month Duterte visited three Chinese warships on Mindanao island in the Philippines—the first Chinese navy port call to the country since 2010.
By expanding its land reclamation activities in the South China Sea and growing the PLA’s global clout, China is reinforcing its influence in the Asia-Pacific.
After bowing to Beijing’s request to retract his decision to plant a flag on Thitu Island over Philippine Independence Day, the President Rodrigo Duterte has likely angered the Chinese again.
Stressing only the expediency of resolving the DPRK issue, the U.S. risks not seeing the forest for the trees in the overall scheme of U.S-China relations.
Vietnam reacted strongly in response to a recent visit by a Chinese cruise ship to the disputed Paracel archipelago. Hanoi pressed for an end to the cruise ship visits, which have taken hundreds of Chinese tourists to the island chain since 2013.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson concluded his visit to China earlier this month, pledging that relations between the two countries would be based on “non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation.”
McMaster drew parallels between Russia’s activities on its borders with similar Chinese activities in the South China Sea, declaring China was “challenging U.S. interests at the far reaches of American power”.
Incoherent U.S. foreign policy, combined with accelerating multipolarity, has increased global geopolitical risk for both major and minor states alike.
“We’re going to have to send China a clear signal that, first, the island-building stops and, second, your access to those islands also is not going to be allowed.”
Vietnam and China pledged to settle disputes and to work toward a code of conduct for maritime operations after Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit to Beijing.
Comments from White House spokesman Sean Spicer on the South China Sea seem to have riled the Chinese and confused others who follow developments in the region.
What makes Tillerson’s bellicosity even more absurd is that the U.S. position in the South China Sea has never been weaker.
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