Thursday, September 15, 2016
Situation of current China-ASEAN cooperation on South China Sea
ANBOUND
The pressure faced by China in the South China Sea issue mainly come from two aspects, the first one is from the United States-led Western countries, and the second one is from certain ASEAN countries involving in the South China Sea disputes, represented by Vietnam and the Philippines. But now, the confrontation of these ASEAN countries against China on the South China Sea issue is easing; Vietnam and the Philippines are moving closer towards China, and this is something that the United States does not wish to see in its Asia Rebalancing strategy. The current situation provides opportunities for China to rebuild its relations with neighboring countries.