By Carl Thayer
During Premier Li Keqiang’s visit to Southeast Asia earlier this month, Chinese press and media commentators went into overdrive in describing the major agreements that had been reached between China, Brunei and Vietnam to advance maritime cooperation and joint development. On October 13, for example, Xinhua urged other regional states to follow suit and “take up the magic wand of joint development.” A day later, Xinhua also reported a “breakthrough in bilateral cooperation” between Beijing and Hanoi.
Hua Yiwen, identified as an expert on global issues, wrote in the People's Daily Online last Friday that Li “put forward three ‘breakthrough’ ideas to handle maritime disputes in a peaceful manner: controlling divergence, exploring joint development, and promoting maritime cooperation.” In the article, Hua also argued that members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) who were not parties to the South China Sea dispute could draw on the China-ASEAN Cooperation Fund and “work together to build a 21st century maritime Silk Road.”
Despite the hopeful picture that Chinese media outlets have portrayed, a closer look at the actual agreements reached between Li and his regional counterparts suggests that these press claims were actually greatly exaggerated.
Read the full story at The Diplomat