By Andrew Billo
The world’s leaders can’t seem to escape the thorny issue of how to resolve the territorial disputes between China and its neighbors. At both September’s UN General Assembly in New York and the annual APEC summit, leaders couldn’t escape either venue without discussion of Asia’s contested waters.
What is evident from these meetings is that nearly all of the countries involved prefer to resolve the territorial disputes internationally, with the aid of multilateral institutions.
But the notable exception is China. At the UN, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasized his country’s preference for bilateral resolution, “through negotiation and consultation with countries directly involved.” China’s emphasis on bilateral relationships is evident across the region, in countries like Cambodia and Myanmar, where large-scale Chinese infrastructure projects are evident. But China’s path has only divided Southeast Asian states and hindered progress in moving forward with a framework within ASEAN for resolving the disputes.
Read the full story at The Diplomat