06-15-2016, 09:01 PM
*** 16-Jun-16 World View -- ASEAN makes humiliating South China Sea reversal under pressure from China
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** ASEAN makes humiliating South China Sea reversal under pressure from China
****
![[Image: g160615b.jpg]](http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g160615b.jpg)
Silly group picture of foreign ministers at Tuesday's ASEAN meeting purporting to portray unity (AFP)
Foreign ministers at the meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN), issued a statement on Tuesday criticizing China's
actions in the South China Sea, though without directly naming China:
[indent]<QUOTE>"We expressed our serious concerns over recent and
ongoing developments, which have eroded trust and confidence,
increased tensions and which may have the potential to undermine
peace, security and stability in the South China Sea. ...
We emphasized the importance of non-militarization and
self-restraint in the conduct of all activities, including land
reclamation, which may raise tensions in the South China Sea.
We stressed the importance of maintaining peace, security,
stability, safety and freedom of navigation in and overflight
above the South China Sea, in accordance with universally
recognized principles of international law including the 1982
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
(UNCLOS)."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
Within hours, apparently under pressure from China, Malaysia's foreign
ministry announced that the ASEAN statement was being withdrawn"
[indent]<QUOTE>"We have to retract the media statement by the ASEAN
foreign ministers... as there are urgent amendments to be
made."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
However, a day later, neither Malaysia nor any other ASEAN member has
issued an updated statement, or explained what the "urgent amendments"
are.
This is a major embarrassment for ASEAN. If they issue a new
statement with the South China Sea language watered down or missing,
then the media will say that ASEAN is a China puppet.
China has been following Hitler's example by annexing regions of the
South China Sea that have historically belonged to other countries,
including the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, and Malaysia.
ASEAN has ten members: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Of these
ten nations, Cambodia has been China's most reliable ally. At a 2012
meeting of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN), Cambodia vetoed attempts to even discuss the South China Sea issues.
That's easy enough for
Cambodia, since China isn't confiscating any region belonging to
Cambodia.
For a long time, Laos sided with Vietnam on the issue, but last month,
Laos flip-flopped and sided with China.
That's also easy enough for Laos, for the same reason as
Cambodia.
Singapore has been trying to act as a mediator between China and the
other countries, but the withdrawal of the original ASEAN statement
apparently has angered Singapore, as Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian
Balakrishnan walked out of a press conference he was co-chairing with
China's foreign minister, Wang Yi.
Laos will be hosting the next ASEAN meeting in July, and fireworks are
expected. The Star (Myanmar) and The Diplomat and AFP
****
**** Obama administration reevaluates plans for Afghanistan troop withdrawal
****
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter told a meeting at Nato headquarters
in Brussels on Wednesday the Obama administration is reevaluating its
previous plans to withdraw thousands of troops from Afghanistan by the
end of 2016.
There are currently 9,800 American troops in Afghanistan. The plan
was to reduce that level to 5,500 by the end of 2016, but now that
plan is apparently about to be changed, much to the surprise of no
one.
This new announcement comes just four days after another
administration reversal. ( "11-Jun-16 World View -- In a reversal, Obama allows US troops in Afghanistan in combat roles"
)
Here's what President Obama said in a speech in December 2009, just
one week before he was scheduled to leave to accept his Nobel Peace
Prize. He referred to a "review" of the situation in Afghanistan that
his administrations had been conducting:
[indent]<QUOTE>"This review is now complete. And as
Commander-in-Chief, I have determined that it is in our vital
national interest to send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to
Afghanistan. After 18 months, our troops will begin to come home.
These are the resources that we need to seize the initiative,
while building the Afghan capacity that can allow for a
responsible transition of our forces out of
Afghanistan.<END QUOTE>[/indent]
Obama was bitterly criticized by military analysts for setting an
18-month deadline, and of course the analysts were right and Obama was
dead wrong. Obama has been forced to backtrack on his 18-month
commitment multiple times, and Wednesday's speech by Ash Carter
indicates that the next flip-flop is about to occur.
When Obama took office in 2008, he had expected to be able to direct
the American withdrawal from Iraq and then quickly win in Afghanistan.
Those promises are in shambles, as are all Obama's policies for
Afghanistan and the Mideast. This is what happens when we elect a
president with absolutely no clue what's going on in the world, and it
looks like it's going to happen again. Washington Post and Washington Times
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, China, South China Sea,
Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN,
Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Vivian Balakrishnan,
Nato, Afghanistan, Ash Carter
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- ASEAN makes humiliating South China Sea reversal under pressure from China
- Obama administration reevaluates plans for Afghanistan troop withdrawal
****
**** ASEAN makes humiliating South China Sea reversal under pressure from China
****
Silly group picture of foreign ministers at Tuesday's ASEAN meeting purporting to portray unity (AFP)
Foreign ministers at the meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN), issued a statement on Tuesday criticizing China's
actions in the South China Sea, though without directly naming China:
[indent]<QUOTE>"We expressed our serious concerns over recent and
ongoing developments, which have eroded trust and confidence,
increased tensions and which may have the potential to undermine
peace, security and stability in the South China Sea. ...
We emphasized the importance of non-militarization and
self-restraint in the conduct of all activities, including land
reclamation, which may raise tensions in the South China Sea.
We stressed the importance of maintaining peace, security,
stability, safety and freedom of navigation in and overflight
above the South China Sea, in accordance with universally
recognized principles of international law including the 1982
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
(UNCLOS)."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
Within hours, apparently under pressure from China, Malaysia's foreign
ministry announced that the ASEAN statement was being withdrawn"
[indent]<QUOTE>"We have to retract the media statement by the ASEAN
foreign ministers... as there are urgent amendments to be
made."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
However, a day later, neither Malaysia nor any other ASEAN member has
issued an updated statement, or explained what the "urgent amendments"
are.
This is a major embarrassment for ASEAN. If they issue a new
statement with the South China Sea language watered down or missing,
then the media will say that ASEAN is a China puppet.
China has been following Hitler's example by annexing regions of the
South China Sea that have historically belonged to other countries,
including the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, and Malaysia.
ASEAN has ten members: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Of these
ten nations, Cambodia has been China's most reliable ally. At a 2012
meeting of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN), Cambodia vetoed attempts to even discuss the South China Sea issues.
That's easy enough for
Cambodia, since China isn't confiscating any region belonging to
Cambodia.
For a long time, Laos sided with Vietnam on the issue, but last month,
Laos flip-flopped and sided with China.
That's also easy enough for Laos, for the same reason as
Cambodia.
Singapore has been trying to act as a mediator between China and the
other countries, but the withdrawal of the original ASEAN statement
apparently has angered Singapore, as Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian
Balakrishnan walked out of a press conference he was co-chairing with
China's foreign minister, Wang Yi.
Laos will be hosting the next ASEAN meeting in July, and fireworks are
expected. The Star (Myanmar) and The Diplomat and AFP
****
**** Obama administration reevaluates plans for Afghanistan troop withdrawal
****
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter told a meeting at Nato headquarters
in Brussels on Wednesday the Obama administration is reevaluating its
previous plans to withdraw thousands of troops from Afghanistan by the
end of 2016.
There are currently 9,800 American troops in Afghanistan. The plan
was to reduce that level to 5,500 by the end of 2016, but now that
plan is apparently about to be changed, much to the surprise of no
one.
This new announcement comes just four days after another
administration reversal. ( "11-Jun-16 World View -- In a reversal, Obama allows US troops in Afghanistan in combat roles"
)
Here's what President Obama said in a speech in December 2009, just
one week before he was scheduled to leave to accept his Nobel Peace
Prize. He referred to a "review" of the situation in Afghanistan that
his administrations had been conducting:
[indent]<QUOTE>"This review is now complete. And as
Commander-in-Chief, I have determined that it is in our vital
national interest to send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to
Afghanistan. After 18 months, our troops will begin to come home.
These are the resources that we need to seize the initiative,
while building the Afghan capacity that can allow for a
responsible transition of our forces out of
Afghanistan.<END QUOTE>[/indent]
Obama was bitterly criticized by military analysts for setting an
18-month deadline, and of course the analysts were right and Obama was
dead wrong. Obama has been forced to backtrack on his 18-month
commitment multiple times, and Wednesday's speech by Ash Carter
indicates that the next flip-flop is about to occur.
When Obama took office in 2008, he had expected to be able to direct
the American withdrawal from Iraq and then quickly win in Afghanistan.
Those promises are in shambles, as are all Obama's policies for
Afghanistan and the Mideast. This is what happens when we elect a
president with absolutely no clue what's going on in the world, and it
looks like it's going to happen again. Washington Post and Washington Times
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, China, South China Sea,
Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN,
Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Vivian Balakrishnan,
Nato, Afghanistan, Ash Carter
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
