Direct from the horse's mouth. US military operations in SCS is not about Freedom of Navigation, it is more about clinging to US Hegemony. Contrary to the rhetoric, historical trend indicates as China becomes richer and more powerful, it is US hegemony which is less tenable.
South China Sea Strategies for other nations (Not China)
- Thread starter PanAsian
- Start date
Brumby
Major
OK. I accept your reasoning and will drop the term propaganda and replace that as excessively political in future.
May 29, 2016 1:15 am JST
TOKYO -- Echoing China's stance, Laotian Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith on Saturday called for South China Sea disputes to be resolved through bilateral talks between the countries concerned.
Thongloun Sisoulith
Thongloun said in an interview with The Nikkei that he will "urge the countries concerned to hold dialogues toward the peaceful settlement" of territorial rows, in an apparent reference to the Philippines and Vietnam.
Thongloun's remarks are significant as Laos holds this year's rotating chairmanship of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Several ASEAN nations, including the Philippines and Vietnam, are locked in territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea. China's creation of artificial islands for military purposes has drawn particularly strong backlashes from the Philippines and Vietnam.
"As chair of ASEAN, Laos will make efforts to create a favorable environment for positive dialogue among countries concerned," Thongloun said. He also said Laos will urge countries to refrain from any actions that could further raise tensions.
Thongloun, who took office in April, visited Japan to attend the Outreach Meeting of the G-7 Ise-Shima summit, in Mie Prefecture, on Friday.
At the Outreach Meeting, Thongloun and leaders from several other developing countries in Asia and Africa joined their counterparts from major industrialized countries.
The Philippines and Vietnam, which find it difficult to counter China's aggressive maritime advancement into the South China Sea on their own, have asked their fellow ASEAN nations to form a united front on the issue.
The Philippines also has taken the dispute to an arbitration court in the Netherlands. The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration expects a ruling soon.
The Philippines is asking other ASEAN nations to issue a joint declaration in response to the ruling, in a show of unity over the issue.
But Thongloun showed a cautious stance about issuing such a document, saying ASEAN nations should make a decision on the matter "carefully while taking into account the situation."
The 10 ASEAN nations are split over whether to issue a joint declaration, with some, including Singapore, being positive about the idea while others, including Cambodia, remain opposed to it.
Cambodia and Laos have close economic relations with China.
Thongloun noted that ASEAN operates by consensus. As things stand now, it is not easy for the ASEAN nations to issue the kind of joint declaration demanded by the Philippines.
Thongloun also disclosed that Laos is now considering joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The trade pact, recently signed but not ratified, is to create a huge economic zone among the U.S., Japan and 10 other Pacific Rim countries.
He said Laos is "conducting a study with interest" to see what benefits TPP membership would bring to the country.
The TPP's four ASEAN members are: Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei. The Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand have shown interest in joining the TPP.
Thongloun apparently believes TPP membership would help boost Laotian exports to non-ASEAN countries. But signing on could also adversely impact the Laotian economy.
Laos remains impoverished and heavily dependent on agriculture. As a TPP member, it would be required to take painful steps to significantly open its domestic markets to foreign competition.
The Laotian government will likely take its time in making a decision on the matter.
SamuraiBlue
Captain
Laos is a land locked nation that has no dispute whatsoever in the SCS. So they will naturally defend PRC being their greatest trading partner and investor.
They are basically a mouth piece of CCP regime so why should anyone who has an actual stake in the matter listen to them?
If I were them I would keep my mouth shut so not to face the possibility of being ostracized by ASEAN when they have to face ASEAN nations alone.
solarz
Brigadier
So anyone who supports China's position is a mouth piece of the CCP regime?
FYI, Japan has no dispute whatsoever in the SCS either, so why are you all up in arms about what the Laosians say?
China is only doing this as a response to the actions of Japan and the US. What country was the hidden hand behind the G-7's 'declaration' on the SCS dispute? What inherent interests do Germany, Italy, France, Canada, and the UK have in the SCS? Are their interests really more important than Lao's, Afghanistan's, Vanuatu's, Mozambique's or Slovenia's interests in the SCS? Compared to the G-7 nations, at least Laos and Mozambique are closer to the SCS, so they might actual have more valid interests when compared against the G-7.
It's also false that landlocked nations cannot have interests in the sea - they have rights to access the sea under international law. As the SCS is the closest body of water for Laos to access the sea, Laos does have a valid interest in the SCS dispute.
From your perspective then, isn't the G-7 also simply a 'mouthpiece' for the Japanese and US governments?
How is your criticism of Laos any different from China's criticism of the G-7's 'declaration' on the SCS? In your opinion then, China's criticism of the G-7 must be valid then? You can't have it both ways, unless you want to be a hypocrite.
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joshuatree
Captain
Considering that China and Laos have an agreement for high speed rail linking Vientiane to Kunming, future trade increases would most likely travel that corridor, not unless other transportation links open up. And even if Laos joined TPP, any substantial trade to other TPP partners would more than likely flow through Chinese ports. So Laos definitely has a much more direct interest in the SCS than nations like Japan, Australia, or the US which have other sea alternatives. Heck, even if Laos did not use Chinese ports but Thai, Cambodian, or Vietnamese, it would still mean the SCS. Myanmar would be the only non-SCS route but realistically, what are the chances of that type of infrastructure in the near future?
And if Laos should supposedly shut their mouths, then why should it endorse any arbitration either? If it supposedly has no rights as a landlocked country, it shouldn't have to endorse anything else like the Hague. Can't have it both ways.
No fish were found aboard the vessels, but the Vietnamese vessel was carrying an eight-tonne haul of sea cucumbers.
- By , Channel NewsAsia
- Posted 01 Jun 2016 01:18
JAKARTA: Indonesia on Tuesday (May 31) reportedly detained vessels from the Philippines and Vietnam over suspicions of illegal fishing in Raja Ampat district, West Papua province.
Local media reported that three warning shots were fired before the vessels were intercepted. Ten crewmen, including one Indonesian, aboard the Philippine vessel, and 13 people aboard the Vietnamese ship were detained.
State-run news agency Antara said no fish were found aboard the vessels, but the Vietnamese vessel was carrying an eight-tonne haul of sea cucumbers, believed to have been taken from the surrounding area.
Both ships did not have the necessary legal documents needed to enter Indonesia's waters, and authorities are investigating the crew members from both ships.
Indonesia on Friday (May 31) captured a Chinese vessel suspected of fishing illegally in waters off the coast of Natuna islands. Authorities have detained the ship's eight crewmen.