Therefore, it’s not surprising that dormant tensions are exploding right now. Now, Asia has the muscles to instill fear and reverence. It’s inevitable that the most important conflict will occur between China and the US. Beijing has laid claim to the islands in the South China Sea, located within the theoretical nine-dash line. All of the bordering nations contest this claim. The ironic exception—Taiwan—confirms that nationalism is the most incisive motive underlying the tensions. Despite the rivalry between Taipei and Beijing being the mother of all conflicts, the two sides of the straight haven’t hesitated to claim that the islands belong to the Great Mother China. The nationalist genesis goes beyond economic interests, the availability of offshore gas, and the control of oil pipelines. In this complex and worrisome picture, Southeast Asian counties are facing a dangerous dilemma: they fear China’s expansionism, but they need it economically. They’re turning to the United States for security without irritating the Middle Kingdom. They are out of their league, and will be playing a difficult game if peace is postponed and politics abdicate in favor of GDP growth.
Posted on: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 09:30:18 +0000
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