After weeks of trying to gain an insight into the thought process of the military junta in Thailand, it seems there is always someone around here who needs a wakeup call.
Although I wanted to question the wit of those who approved visa-free entry to Chinese without reciprocal action from our giant neighbour to the north, China’s recent actions made me rethink my stance.
Yes, we all know what will happen when Chinese tourists crowd the malls and hotel lobbies, as they are considered among the loudest in everything thing they do. But it seems their government has suddenly gotten louder and more courageous the past week.
For the first time in recent history China came out and warned the US to butt out of the South China Sea conflict.
“What is regretful is certain countries have in recent years strengthened their illegal presence through construction and increased arms build-up,” the ministry said in a statement.
“We hope countries outside the region strictly maintain their neutrality, clearly distinguish right from wrong and earnestly respect the joint efforts of countries in the region to maintain peace and stability.” This is a reference to the US, which has been a key ally to various Asean countries for decades.
The fact that China had the audacity to warn the most powerful country in the world is itself a very strange thing, and shows how far it is willing to go to assert its authority in the region.
Other countries in the region should start to ask what and who has given China the right to be the regional leader? What has China done to deserve that title? Has China been instrumental in bringing about a dramatic change in the economies of the region?
China has been partly responsible for keeping the regional economy stable during the 2008 economic crisis and helping to shore up the Chiang Mai Initiative, a $240 billion multilateral currency swap fund whose durability is yet to be tested.
But apart from this what else has it contributed? Everything it has sought has been for its own benefit or with loads of strings attached, be it building infrastructure or other investments.
Several of its investments are aimed at tapping the resources of other countries to help feed the motherland’s never-ending demand for energy and resources.
The US has a lot of flaws, but it has done more to benefit countries in the region than China will ever do in the next two to three decades. The US not only provided stability to the region that led to growth and prosperity, but also offered the know-how to generate a better economy.
Take South Korea, Japan or even Thailand, the Philippines or Singapore — they all benefited from the stability and expertise the US provided.
Now switch gears and look at what China has given Asean members?
Apart from helping to drive the economic growth momentum, which is a necessity there because the country’s leaders do not want to face the wrath of the people if there is a shortage of food, all of its efforts are positions that ultimately benefit China.
Very few actions and policies have come out of China that benefit the region. Instead of creating stability and harmony in Asean, Chinese actions have in fact created disunity, division and even threatened the smaller countries.
And this is a country that aspires to be the powerhouse of the region, and supposedly wants to be the protector of regional interest?
I cannot think of another country more incapable of being a regional leader than China, as the country only thinks of its own interest and all its actions are to benefit its government and people.
What Asean countries need to do is stop hoping the US will come clean up their mess because some countries standing up to China, such as the Philippines, have invested very little in their defence forces since the US left over a decade ago. Hoping the US would come to the rescue when the time comes is feeble and unrealistic, given the world military leader’s chronic budget problems.
Asean nations have to stop relying on others to help them and instead become a collective voice to fight pressures from those who would be regional rulers following a power play.