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China’s Achilles’ heel in Southeast Asia
Posted By Benjamin Schreer on October 15, 2013 @ 14:30
Recent commentary on US President Barack Obama’s last minute cancellation of his trips to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Bali and the East Asia Summit (EAS) in Brunei overwhelmingly reflected classical ‘zero-sum’ thinking. The common reading is that the credibility of the US ‘pivot’ has been further undermined, and that China used Obama’s absence to boost its position with the ASEAN nations.
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[1] Image: http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/5639546598_7bfc2c62d7_z.jpg
[2] credibility of the US ‘pivot’ has been further undermined: http://csis.org/publication/pacnet-74-pogo-was-right
[3] China used Obama’s absence to boost its position: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/04/us-usa-fiscal-obama-cancel-idUSBRE99302J20131004
[4] Malaysia: http://csis.org/files/publication/Pac1376.pdf
[5] key message: http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/asia-pacific/kerry-urges-progress-on-territorial-disputes-in-the-south-china-sea-1.1556681
[6] compromise on its extensive territorial claims in the South China Sea: http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/the-intractable-south-china-sea/
[7] also warned countries not directly involved, including Australia and Japan, to stay out of the disputes: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2448256/China-warns-U-S-stay-territorial-dispute-Japan-South-China-Sea.html
[8] India: http://thediplomat.com/flashpoints-blog/2013/10/12/india-rebukes-beijing-on-south-china-sea/
[9] Vietnam is developing the components of an ‘anti-access/ area-denial’ (A2/AD) capability: http://thediplomat.com/flashpoints-blog/2013/10/08/with-russias-help-vietnam-adopts-a2ad-strategy/
[10] minimum credible defense’: http://thediplomat.com/2013/08/22/modernizing-the-philippine-military/
[11] two main arguments are advanced: http://thediplomat.com/2013/10/08/the-pivot-under-pressure/
[12] Obama’s recent speech before the UN General Assembly had: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/25/us/politics/text-of-obamas-speech-at-the-un.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
[13] US officials announced: http://www.defensenews.com/article/20131003/DEFREG02/310030017/US-Deploy-Global-Hawks-F-35s-New-Radars-Japan
[14] US Marines are building a new, advanced command post on Palawan Island in the Philippines : http://www.pacificnewscenter.com/index.php?option=com_content&id=26955%3Akyodo-us-marines-to-set-up-command-post-on-palawan-island-facing-south-china-sea&Itemid=156
[15] Prime Minister Abbott just announced his government's decision to share the financial costs of an enhanced US Marine presence in the North: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/policy/aussies-to-share-16bn-cost-of-us-marine-bases/story-e6frg8yo-1226738605072
[16] argued here: http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/marines-in-darwin-make-it-so/
[17] Johanna Loock: http://www.flickr.com/photos/runintherain/5639546598/