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| German Type 209 Submarine (File Photo) |
By Yoji Koda, former commander in chief, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Fleet.
Two of the key factors that will shape security issues across the Pacific in 2015 will be China's changing tactics regarding high seas confrontations in the South China Sea, and the steady development of submarine fleets among various countries.
It is clear that China's actions in the South China Sea (SCS) were more assertive during the first eight months of the year. But China seemed to change course in September, moving away from its more heavy-handed tactics.
One possible reason is that President Xí Jìnpíng has an eye on the 2015 Asia-Pacific Economic Conference (APEC) to be held in the Philippines, and wants to contribute to a smooth summit by minimizing provocations in the SCS.
China hosted this prestigious summit in 2014 and now can greatly contribute to a successful summit in 2015.
To make the SCS situation less volatile, China has wisely used Code of Conduct (COC) negotiations among regional nations to defuse the criticism launched against China by international communities.
While China's real objective remains unclear, its new approach stirred the waters in the SCS.
There have been different responses to China's actions, but there are some indications that, thanks to China's new actions in the SCS, regional nations have started narrowing their differences on COC negotiations.
Read the full story at DefenseNews