South China Sea and Taiwan

Contemporary relations between the U.S. and allies and China were inaugurated by Nixon and Deng back in 1972. Review of these relations since then shows that, especially on principle the U.S. policy has not changed much. Review also shows that the U.S. did significantly more of its part for the development of these relations while China did little or less. Recently and increasingly these relations are endangered for economic, political and geopolitical reasons among which the situations in South China Sea and with Taiwan feature high.

The South China Sea is an international sea corridor for maritime transport and trade which is economically important for China and vital for the region and for the world.

Taiwan is an autonomous region with a political system different from or opposing to the CPC system in China.

Even though some CPC leaders may disagree, the truth is that keeping South China Sea free, international and open for maritime transport and trade and Taiwan autonomous and independent, is vital and important first and foremost for China’s national, international, economic, geopolitical and political interests. To China, South China Sea is important for economic accessibility. Taiwan is important for political variation.  

Other than its own national interests, China has to consider the interests of regional neighboring states around South China Sea like Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and further out, Cambodia, Thailand, India, Australia, South Korea, Japan and the U.S. in the Pacific. China has also to consider international interests because of the world materiality and relevance of both issues and their accentuation by the increasing global displacement of China overall.  

In other areas of domestic affairs and foreign relations, Chinese policies may be more successful. However, on the issues of South China Sea and Taiwan it is the foreign relations and security policies of regional and international alliances which prevail over China’s corresponding policies, including of the military policies. The same stands on several aspects of China’s policies with its economic and trading partners, especially major and prominently with the U.S.

Finally on the arguments about the ostensible encirclement, containment and isolation of China by foreign partners and international alliances, these are likely to be respectfully dismissed in international fora, first on fact and then on merit.