Maritime ASEAN bends with the China wind – for now
More South-east Asian nations are being careful not to bump up against Beijing on a range of issues.
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Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s recent remarks on Taiwan drew praise from Beijing.
PHOTO: EPA
Mainland South-east Asian states like Thailand have traditionally been known to practise the art of being bamboos that swayed with the wind. Sometimes, they have bent too much in one direction.
Who can forget Cambodia’s handling of the 2012 ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Phnom Penh when it intervened on China’s behalf to prevent mention of the South China Sea issue? This led to the grouping’s failure to issue a joint statement for the first time in 45 years.
