#spratleys

If anyone here sees anything or knows anything please message or comment on their post on the Tim Smith's SPRATLEYS page on Facebook.

Friedman talks about rising tensions regarding Chinese nationalism and expansionist goals in the South China Sea. At A recent ASEAN meeting:

As one minister after another got up at the Asean meeting to assert claims in the South China Sea or argue that any territorial disputes must be resolved peacefully and in accordance with international law, the Chinese foreign minister grew increasingly agitated, according to a participant. And after Mrs. Clinton spoke and insisted that the South China Sea was an area where America had “a national interest” in “freedom of navigation,” the Chinese foreign minister asked for a brief adjournment and then weighed in.

Speaking without a text, Yang went on for 25 minutes, insisting that this was a bilateral issue, not one between China and Asean. He looked across the room at Mrs. Clinton through much of his stem-winder, which included the observation that “China is a big country” and most of the other Asean members “are small countries,” The Washington Post reported. The consensus in the room, the diplomat said, was that the Chinese minister was trying to intimidate the group and separate the territorial claimants from the nonclaimants so that there could be no Asean collective action and each country would have to negotiate with China separately.