Bloomberg
11 August 2014
- RSIS
- Media Mentions
- China Twarts U.S. Bid to Reduce South China Sea Tensions
China Twarts U.S. Bid to Reduce South China Sea Tensions
China’s rejection of U.S. and Philippine proposals to regulate countries’ behaviour in the South China Sea signaled tensions are likely to persist in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
At a regional security meeting this weekend, China rebuffed a U.S. proposal for nations involved in disputes to voluntarily avoid actions that could be provocative. The proposal, and a similar measure by the Philippines at the Asean Regional Forum in Myanmar, were aimed at breathing life into stalled talks on drafting a code of conduct.
“They are not going anywhere because the Chinese don’t see any value in it,” said Richard Bitzinger, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. “Their argument is increasingly there is no reason to do this stuff. In their mind it’s a settled issue.”
GPO / IDSS / RSIS / Online
Last updated on 13/08/2014
