Escalating tensions in the South China Sea could push Beijing to to make drastic decisions about its territorial claims in the region, reports Duowei News, an outlet run by overseas Chinese.
China's government has been feeling the pressure following two recent incidents in the South China Sea concerning Vietnam and the Philippines, less than a fortnight after a high-profile visit by US president Barack Obama to the region in which he called for strengthened ties with Asian allies.
On May 4, Chinese and Vietnamese naval ships engaged in a tense standoff near a Chinese oil rig in disputed waters off the Paracel islands, which China calls Xisha, with both sides accusing the other of ramming their boats. Then on May 10, the Philippines announced that it had imprisoned 11 Chinese fishermen since May 6 after they were caught with endangered sea turtles near the waters of the disputed Spratly islands.
The US State Council described China's actions in the Vietnam incident as "provocative and unhelpful," while Daniel Russel, the US assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific, said Washington was concerned about "dangerous conduct and intimidation by vessels" in the disputed area during a visit to Vietnam.
Read the full story at Want China Times