China Plays Down Sea Spats to Woo Asean From U.S. ‘Siren Song’

[Zorra]

Source: Bloomberg

Nov. 21 (Bloomberg) -- China played down tensions with the U.S. and proposed funding to enhance maritime cooperation in Southeast Asia after President Barack Obama challenged its actions in the South China Sea at a summit of Asian leaders.

Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said China was committed to keeping sea lanes secure and called the U.S. “an important player in Asia ever since the second world war,” on Nov. 19 in Bali, Indonesia. China also chose not to criticize a U.S. agreement with Australia to bolster its military footprint in the region with the announcement that as many as 2,500 Marines will be stationed in the north of the country.

China is “soft-talking to prevent more members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations from joining the Washington-led containment policy,” Willy Wo-Lap Lam, an adjunct history professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said by e-mail. “Placatory gestures are being bolstered by dollar diplomacy: More developmental and infrastructure aid will be pouring into Asean countries, particularly those that have not fallen for America’s siren song.”

China is seeking to reassure countries in the region after its moves to assert sovereignty in waters that may contain oil and gas reserves provided Obama an opening to expand strategic ties in Asia. Over the course of a nine-day Asia-Pacific trip that began Nov. 11 in Hawaii, the president announced plans to advance regional trade talks that don’t include China and called on leaders of the world’s second largest economy to “play by the rules.”

Read more: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-11-20/china-plays-down-sea-spats-to-woo-asean-from-u-s-siren-song-.html

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Interesting.

[Zorro]

1. China's aggressive actions over possession of the Spratly and Paracel Islands

have convinced the southeast Asian countries to look to the US for assistance.

They know who the future threat is to their countries, and it ain't us.

[Zorra]

2. I just hope this situation does not get really, really ugly in the future. nt

[krucial]

3. China

Give it some more time and few years,once we start moving in putting up military bases and troops
the whole region will find out whats it all about,and who the future threat will be when and if they try to assert their independence of who is in control

[red dog 1]

4. "Chinese Patrol Boats Off Coast of Phillippines & Vietnam Chase Away Ships & Cut Cables"?

[freshwest]

5. All the world leaders are playing footsie under the table. No use for us to buy any war talk.