The Asean should be smart enough to realize that the ultimate strategy of China is to delay all kinds of regional negotiations related to the South China Sea disputes.
China needs enough time to militarize the entire Sea.
Its goal is to complete its strategic control over the entire South China Sea until such time that all claims and counterclaims by other Asean states become moot and academic.
The history of the dilatory actions of China shows its bad faith and malice. It cannot be trusted.
Its promises of dialogues and joint development ventures with claimant Asean states, like the Philippines, are ploys to appease and mislead them and to lull their vigilance.
China will maximize the use of its military and economic power and clout to dominate the South China Sea.
It will not abandon its ridiculous theory that it owns the Sea.
China will reject all suggestions from other claimant Asean states to refer the disputes to the UNCLOS Permanent Court of Arbitration, the UN International Court of Justice, and any and all ad hoc international mechanisms that the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly may create to adjudicate the disputes for the sake of world peace and economic development.
China will reject the jurisdictions of any and all world judicial and arbitral tribunals to resolve the South China Sea disputes.
Pride and greed are the guiding principles of Chinese foreign policy with respect to the South China Sea.
Power, force, corruption and deception. are the foundations of its tactics.
I hope the Asean, the Duterte regime and the Filipino people themselves will soon wake up to this ugly truth.
The US, Australia and Japan have promised to continue "freedom of navigation" operations in the South China Sea and called on Beijing to endorse a legally binding…
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