Chinese leader comment "third party" should stay out of Asia

[hellheaven1987]

I assume he means Russia right?

China's President Xi Jinping has called on Asian countries to avoid strengthening military alliances with "third party" powers.

Addressing neighbouring countries at a summit, Mr Xi also said that issues and problems in the region should be resolved by Asians themselves.

His comments come as the United States seeks to increase its presence in Asia.

China is locked in disputes with several neighbours over claims in the South China Sea.

The Philippines, which has accused China of building an airstrip on a disputed reef, recently hosted President Barack Obama, who pledged "ironclad" support for the US ally.

Mr Obama also made stops in Malaysia, South Korea and Japan on his tour last month.

Speaking at the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (Cica) on Wednesday, Mr Xi said: "Strengthening military alliances with a third party does not benefit the maintenance of regional security."

"Matters in Asia ultimately must be taken care of by Asians, Asia's problems ultimately must be resolved by Asians, and Asia's security ultimately must be protected by Asians," he said.

Mr Xi said each country should play its part in preserving regional security.

"A country, in seeking to determine its own security, should not sacrifice that of other countries... no country should seek to monopolise regional security affairs and trample on the rights of others," he said.

He added that such a situation would do no good as "a Kazakh saying goes: Blowing out another's lamp will only burn one's beard".

Mr Xi proposed that Cica, which has 24 member nations, become a security dialogue platform, and that it establish a "defence consultation mechanism", with a response centre for emergencies.

The Chinese president was speaking to delegations from more than 40 countries and organisations. These included Vietnam's Vice-President Nguyen Thi Doan and representatives from the Philippines and Japan.

The presence of a Chinese oil rig in waters also claimed by Hanoi sparked a wave of anti-China protests across Vietnam earlier this month which left at least two Chinese workers dead and factories burnt.

The Philippines, meanwhile, is taking China to an international court over its South China Sea claims.

Source

Well, I don't know, since Russia has a close relation with India it is probably quite hard to tell Putin get off, and besides what "Asia" here includes? May be as far as Turkey? Does that mean EU should stay out too?

[conon394]

Should we have stayed out back in WW2 as well I a sure Japan would have liked that ideal

[Sebidee]

I'm guessing "asia" in this context maens east asia and not India or the middle east. It would have to do with South Korea, Japan and Taiwan, all of which are allies of the US. China, naturally, as the strongest Asian country should dominate but are held in check. Which I'm not sure is fair considering the dominance of other large countries in their own continents.

Taiwan in particular is strange as it was the product of resistance to the rise of the communists in china with Taiwan (aka the Republic of China) seceding. Therefore it is a civil war and something that you would have thought would have been resolved in China's favour decades ago. Yet, Taiwan has US backing and to invade would cause trouble.

I for one agree with the Chinese President. Certain regions of the world should resolve their own problems. I am not anti-US but their foreign policy is seriously outdated and would have been more at home in the 1800s with the other empires.

[Roma_Victrix]

"Matters in Asia ultimately must be taken care of by Asians China, Asia's problems ultimately must be resolved by Asians China, and Asia's security ultimately must be protected by Asians China," he said.

There, that's better. I think we have the true intent of the message now.

It's only natural for China, which is the most populous nation on earth and has the largest army, the second largest economy just behind the US, and a nuclear arsenal to rival the US, to finally start asserting itself more vigorously in East Asia. However, this is mostly soft power, the use of economic persuasion. Rarely does China threaten military action these days to achieve its goals and objectives.

On the issue of Taiwan and North Korea, the US and China are clearly rivals, but China is also the United States' second largest trading partner after Canada. Open warfare between the two would collapse both economies and no one wants that. Instead we are seeing a minor cold war between the two in the form of a cyber war at the moment. Although espionage breeds further mistrust, it hardly spells the ceasing of relations. The US and China constantly step on each others' toes, but they are both mature enough to realize the roughhousing and playing ends there and stops short of actual hostilities.

[Farnan]

Let's do a quick tally:

US Ally:
Vietnam (most outspoken)
Philippines
South Korea (arguably strongest Asian Army)
Japan
Taiwan
Singapore (even has an Air Force unit stationed in the US)
Thailand
Brunei

Chinese Allies:
Myanmar
North Korea
Pakistan (though officially also a US ally)

Anti-China but not quite US Ally:
India

Pretty clear what Asia thinks.

This is all rhetoric though aimed at a domestic as much as international audience

[Sebidee]

Let's do a quick tally:

US Ally:
Vietnam (most outspoken)
Philippines
South Korea (arguably strongest Asian Army)
Japan
Taiwan
Singapore (even has an Air Force unit stationed in the US)
Thailand
Brunei

Chinese Allies:
Myanmar
North Korea
Pakistan (though officially also a US ally)

Anti-China but not quite US Ally:
India

Pretty clear what Asia thinks.

This is all rhetoric though aimed at a domestic as much as international audience

I don't think thats a fair summary. First of all the two most populous countries should carry more weight. There is a difference between majority of Asian counties and Majority of Asians.

America causes too much outside pressure which tips the balance far too much economically. If East Asia was a closed system than it is more likely that more cooperation would occur like the EU, Arab League or other trading blocs.

[Farnan]

I don't think thats a fair summary. First of all the two most populous countries should carry more weight. There is a difference between majority of Asian counties and Majority of Asians.

America causes too much outside pressure which tips the balance far too much economically. If East Asia was a closed system than it is more likely that more cooperation would occur like the EU, Arab League or other trading blocs.

Unlike the EU and Arab League there is a dominant nation in Asia that most Asian nations want to counter balance. And those countries can associate with who they want. There is no Asian hive mind.

[nhinhonhinho]

Here's my list of the participants

The big three

USA: The old big guy, aging and seem weakening! Still a biggest, meanest once around plus have many allies.

China: The second big guy and are becoming the big bad. Virtually mess with everyone have (land and sea) border with them

Russia: the third big guy. Busying elsewhere, forced to be nice with China due to USA's pressure. Not a big player in Asia

US Ally:

Vietnam (suddenly sit on the same boat with USA because their common enemy! Not official ally :o ! Anti China clearly now.)
Philippines (US's traditional ally, unfortunately rather weak, strangely love Vietnam pretty much :o )
South Korea (arguably strongest Asian Army)
Japan (sleeping giant, begin to stir!)
Singapore (the little David)
Thailand (is a mess currently due to political turmoil)
Brunei (the little between the giants)
Taiwan (anti mainland China, US's ally, however they have common goal with mainland China in sea dispute. The beginning of Asia turmoil came from here!)

China Ally:

North Korea (the glorious leader will crush USA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8_X-9AIG-c )
Pakistan (though officially also a US ally, anti India)

Other:
India (anti-China but not US ally...officially, also anti Pakistan)
Cambodia (want to ally with China because they hate Vietnam especially their opposition, unfortunately are being control by 'Vietnam the terrible!')
Laos (poor little guy under Vietnam control, rather unreliable, not like Vietnam like before but don't like China either)
Malaysia (get mad with China after MH370, now want to support Philippines, AFAIK they like US a bit more)
Indonesia (most neutral once around)
Myanmar (former China's ally but is turncoat now, rather neutral)

[YuriVII]

The creation of Oceania, East Asia, and Eurasia. Anyone else see this game being played out?

[Sebidee]

No, the EU has dominant nations. France and Germany. There is no reason some kind of bloc would not have formed after WW2 except for outside involvement, the circumstances were similar.

I'm not so sure the did assosiate with who they wanted to either.

What's wrong with Asians assosiating with each other? They live in the same area with near-ish cultires, no different than Europe. Its far better than working for a total outsider.

[Nevins]

No, the EU has dominant nations. France and Germany. There is no reason some kind of bloc would not have formed after WW2 except for outside involvement, the circumstances were similar.

You think they would have played nice after WW2? Versailles was such a fantastic and reasonable way to end WW1 right?

What's wrong with Asians assosiating with each other? They live in the same area with near-ish cultires, no different than Europe. Its far better than working for a total outsider.

There isn't anything wrong with it, but they have independently chosen to associate with the US instead of China. Why do you think all Asian people think alike/should think alike?

[Mangalore]

No, the EU has dominant nations. France and Germany. There is no reason some kind of bloc would not have formed after WW2 except for outside involvement, the circumstances were similar.

I'm not so sure the did assosiate with who they wanted to either.

What's wrong with Asians assosiating with each other? They live in the same area with near-ish cultires, no different than Europe. Its far better than working for a total outsider.

I think you miss the gross difference here. In Europe there were always _several_ dominant nations aka the traditional Great Powers and it was they who were the driving force in the European process. Great Britain, Italy, France and West Germany all were about the same size.

East Asia has only China which in itself creates frictions due to her overbearing size in manhandling everyone else if they so desire. Germany had that role only by their military success which scared the hell out of everyone (yes, the wars were lost but for the participants it was pretty scary how many countries it took to take them down).

This is why cooperation is difficult because in Asia that would translate "Chinese hegemony", in Europe while you have dominant nations the differences in size aren't remotely the same. The only similar case would have been the Soviet Union and that still would be ~225 million vs 60 million, not ~1300 million vs ~150 million when you just compare #1 and #2 in size.

Indonesia might be a counter balance but they are not really affected by the East Asian squabbles and stay out of it.

[Sphere]

The Monloe doctorine?

[Condottiere 40K]

The Chinese moaning over the Americans mooning them in their own backyard.

[Sebidee]

I can see that you are trying to get me to say something racist. Stop.

I think it would be better and healtier for the region to cooperate or have the incentive to cooperate without outside influence.

[Nevins]

I can see that you are trying to get me to say something racist. Stop.

I am? You are the one lumping an entire region together because....they are all Asian. Or something

I think it would be better and healtier for the region to cooperate or have the incentive to cooperate without outside influence.

If those countries see working closely with China to be more beneficial to them then working with the US then that will happen. Unfortunately reality has a nasty way of getting in the way of your little pipe dream

[Dromikaites]

I can see that you are trying to get me to say something racist. Stop.

I think it would be better and healtier for the region to cooperate or have the incentive to cooperate without outside influence.

Let's pause and think for a moment:

1) the Philippines and China have a territorial dispute;

2) Vietnam and China have a territorial dispute;

3) Japan and China have a territorial dispute;

4) South Korea is not united with North Korea because the "Chinese Voluteers" intervened.

5) The Philippines, Vietnam, Japan, South Korea together do not hold as much weight as China does alone.

So how exactly could the Asians settle whatever disputes they have among themselves when one of the players is as big as all the others combined?!

Of course China would be happy to have "Asia for Asians". But the other Asians aren't happy at all, so they seek friends outside Asia. It is as simple as that.

[Sebidee]

Its not as if those countries sought out America, for many it was the other way around. Japan and Phillipines that alliance was enforced.

[Vanoi]

Its not as if those countries sought out America, for many it was the other way around. Japan and Phillipines that alliance was enforced.

how were those alliances forced? I can see in the case of Japan but even then after the occupation ended Japan could have done what it wanted.

[Sebidee]

Phillipines were once Spanish but was taken in 1898.

By the logic of saying America needs to 'balance' asia, so you suggest that Central American and caribean countries should ally with an outside power?

(As they attempted with the USSR before US intervention)