"This is why I think our Department of Foreign Affairs has taken the right strategy of bringing the conflict before an international arbitration panel, with or without China’s agreement. If our case is strong, the weight of public opinion will bear on China to act like a responsible world power that it should be. It is also good that the DFA is now going on an international campaign to inform world governments about our position and eliciting their understanding and support. No one likes a bully and if China persists on acting like a regional bully, it risks its standing in the family of nations and the health of its economy as well. We must remind the international community they also have a lot at stake in preserving freedom of navigation in the area covered by China’s nine-dash-line. Sea lanes here are used by about half of the world’s annual international maritime trade and rising still with the fast economic growth in this part of Asia. If they are not anxious now, Europe and America should be very concerned about unimpeded movement of vessels, goods, and persons in the disputed area. We all have a lot to lose if the current belligerent attitudes toward each other persist. No matter how fiery some of the domestic voices may be about each other’s nationalism, no one wants any misunderstanding to escalate into a shooting war. But everyone should be worried about accidents, about unintended consequences."
Posted on: Tue, 06 Aug 2013 22:36:38 +0000
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