SINGAPORE: It was last June when a British destroyer entered Black Sea waters claimed by Russia since its 2014 annexation of Crimea. In response, Russian Coastguard fired shots into the distance.
Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in March: seeks to maintain the US-led system of hegemony, undermines the Asean-centred regional co-operation architecture, and compromises the overall and long-term interests of countries in the region. At his recent annual media briefing, Wang did not mince words either, saying the US’ strategy in the region is “becoming a byword for bloc politics”.
To former Singapore diplomat Kishore Mahbubani, one thing is “very clear”: The “biggest geopolitical contest of all time … has just broken out between the US and China”. To some, the announcement marked an acceleration of the 18-month evaluation process that was launched following the Aukus agreement signed last September for the US and Britain to assist Australia in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines.
The country has “benefited hugely from this”, noted Victor Gao, vice-president of the Beijing-based Centre for China and Globalisation. But the Australian government “wants to deprive the Australian people of their rare privilege of living in this bubble”, he said. He noted that Aukus has “broad bipartisan support” in Australia, a country where 84 per cent of its people do not trust China to act responsibly in the world, according to the latest annual poll by think-tank Lowy Institute.
He cited the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership — the world’s largest free trade deal — which entered into force in January and counts Australia and China among its members. “Submarines are stealthy, but trade agreements are stealthier,” he said.What is “somewhat of a mystery” to Mahbubani is the Quad, comprising Australia, India, Japan and the US.
Japan joined the naval exercise permanently in 2015, and Australia participated for the second time in 2020. Without a shift away from “a security view of the Quad”, he said, the alliance “isn’t going to get buy-in” from countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.The “main concern” was that the Quad “would heighten tensions in the region, especially vis-a-vis China”, said Lynn Kuok, Shangri-La Dialogue senior fellow for Asia-Pacific security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
We should stay neutral!
Of course. CCP criminals outright support for the Putin Russia invasion of sovereign and independent Ukraine tells us a lot of their criminal intent. In fact it is bit late in the game hope not too late. Remove all CCP assets from SCS islets.
Fix ya' own house that's on fire first Joe, and stop stirring war around the world to distract everyone from your pathethic presidency.
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