US struggles for strategy to contain China’s island-building
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“The obvious frustration for the US is that all the Southeast Asian countries, with the possible exception of the Philippines, do not want to make a choice between China, their main trading partner, and the US, the main provider of security in the region,” says Euan Graham of the Lowy Institute in Sydney.
The second problem is that each of these countries has occupied its own islands, and some are doing their own land reclamation. At the Shangri-La security summit last month Mr Carter called on all parties to stop land reclamation. Last year a similar appeal by the US went unheeded by all but the Philippines, and subsequently collapsed.
Other diplomatic efforts include a common “code of conduct” among the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations — four of which have claims in the south China Sea — which would put a commitment not to reclaim land in legally binding language and place additional diplomatic pressure on China.
Asean is split between those countries that do not have claims, which are more China-friendly, and those that do. Meanwhile, China is seeking to deal separately with each claimant.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/54414c0e-0a6f-11e5-82e4-00144feabdc0.html
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